BOXSCORE: 2018 Denville Ultras At 2018 Vermont Fighting Sioux 4/22/2018
Ultras AB R H RBI AVG Fighting Sioux AB R H RBI AVG
J.Dyson CF 5 1 1 0 .200 G.Garcia DH 4 0 0 0 .200
C.Gomez DH 4 1 1 2 .250 K.Kiermaier CF 3 2 2 2 .600
Y.Alonso 1B 3 1 2 2 .667 R.Zimmerman 1B 3 0 1 0 .400
M.Gonzalez LF 4 0 0 0 .000 C-J.Marisnick PR,RF 0 0 0 0 .000
E.Rosario RF 3 0 0 0 .000 C.Taylor RF 4 0 1 1 .333
S.Castro 2B 4 0 2 0 .500 D-K.Morales 1B 0 0 0 0 .333
T.Turner SS 3 0 0 0 .000 D.Freese 3B 3 0 1 0 .400
M.Pina C 3 0 1 0 .333 L.Forsythe 2B 3 0 0 0 .273
A-R.Perez C 1 0 1 01.000 B-C.Correa PH,SS 1 0 0 0 .231
E.Longoria 3B 4 1 1 0 .250 E.Escobar SS,2B 3 0 0 0 .000
E-R.Martin PH 1 0 0 0 .429
A.Gordon LF 3 0 0 0 .111
F-A.Cabrera PH 1 0 0 0 .000
J.Castro C 2 1 0 0 .143
-- -- -- --- -- -- -- ---
Totals 34 4 9 4 Totals 31 3 5 3
A-Subbed Defensively (C ) For Pina In 8th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Forsythe In 8th Inning
C-Pinch Ran For Zimmerman In 8th Inning
D-Subbed Defensively (1B) For Taylor In 9th Inning
E-Pinch Hit For Escobar In 9th Inning
F-Pinch Hit For Gordon In 9th Inning
Ultras.......... 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 4 9 0
Fighting Sioux.. 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 - 3 5 2
Ultras (1-0) IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
J.Degrom WIN(1-0) 7 1/3 4 3 3 4 9 1 3.68
M.Albers SAVE(1st) 1 2/3 1 0 0 1 1 0 0.00
Totals 9 5 3 3 5 10 1
Fighting Sioux (2-2) IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
B.Peacock LOSS(0-2) 8 1/3 9 4 3 3 7 2 7.43
M.Minor 0 2/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0.00
Totals 9 9 4 3 3 9 2
ATTENDANCE- 40,985 DATE- Wednesday, April 22nd 2018 TIME- Night
T- 3:12
LEFT ON BASE- Ultras: 7 Fighting Sioux: 6
DOUBLE PLAYS- Ultras: 1 Fighting Sioux: 1
ERRORS- D.Freese, J.Castro
DOUBLES- Y.Alonso(1st), E.Longoria(1st), K.Kiermaier(3rd), R.Zimmerman(2nd),
C.Taylor(2nd), D.Freese(2nd)
HOME RUNS- C.Gomez(1st), Y.Alonso(1st), K.Kiermaier(2nd)
RBIs- C.Gomez-2(2nd), Y.Alonso-2(2nd), K.Kiermaier-2(4th), C.Taylor(2nd)
STOLEN BASES- J.Dyson(1st)
CAUGHT STEALING- T.Turner
SACRIFICE FLIES- Y.Alonso
WALKS- C.Gomez, E.Rosario, T.Turner, K.Kiermaier, R.Zimmerman, D.Freese,
J.Castro-2
STRIKE OUTS- J.Dyson, C.Gomez, M.Gonzalez-2, E.Rosario, T.Turner-2, M.Pina-2,
G.Garcia-2, R.Zimmerman, C.Taylor, D.Freese, L.Forsythe,
E.Escobar-2, A.Gordon, J.Castro
GIDP- R.Zimmerman
2-out RBI- C.Taylor
RLISP 2-out- D.Freese, M.Gonzalez, C.Gomez, S.Castro, A.Gordon, C.Correa
TEAM RISP- Ultras: 1 for 7 Fighting Sioux: 2 for 10
40,985 fans were treated to a fine game at Fighting Sioux Field as only one
run separated the combatants at game's end. The Denville Ultras won by the
slimmest of margins, 4 to 3.
Jacob Degrom(1-0) pitched a fine game. He went 7 and 1/3 innings allowing 4
hits and 4 walks. Degrom struckout 9 Vermont batters. Vermont was out-hit
by Denville, 9 hits to 5.
Degrom was helped out by Matt Albers who recorded his 1st save. Brad
Peacock(0-2) was the losing pitcher. He pitched 8 and 1/3 innings and
surrendered 9 hits and 3 walks.
Monday, April 2, 2018
deGrom and Albers give DEU tight 4-3 win over VFS
Felix goes 8 2/3 strong, VFS 5 - SBU 2
BOXSCORE: 2018 Slatington Bulldogs At 2018 Vermont Fighting Sioux 4/18/2018
Bulldogs AB R H RBI AVG Fighting Sioux AB R H RBI AVG
R.Odor DH 4 0 0 0 .154 G.Garcia DH 3 0 1 0 .333
E.Inciarte CF 3 0 0 0 .273 A-A.Cabrera PH,DH 0 0 0 0 .000
J.Altuve 2B 4 0 1 0 .385 C.Taylor RF 4 0 0 0 .364
W.Castillo C 4 0 1 0 .154 D-K.Kiermaier CF 1 0 0 0 .571
J.Abreu 1B 4 0 0 0 .000 C.Correa SS 4 0 0 0 .250
C.Pinder RF 3 0 0 0 .273 R.Zimmerman 1B 2 2 2 0 .417
R.Braun LF 3 2 2 2 .417 B-K.Morales PH,1B 1 0 0 0 .333
C.Seager SS 3 0 0 0 .556 L.Forsythe 2B 2 1 0 0 .375
M.Franco 3B 3 0 0 0 .250 C-R.Grichuk PH 1 0 0 0 .500
E-E.Escobar 2B 0 0 0 0 .000
D.Freese 3B 4 1 3 1 .429
A.Gordon LF 2 1 0 1 .167
A.Jones CF,RF 3 0 0 1 .222
J.Castro C 4 0 1 2 .200
-- -- -- --- -- -- -- ---
Totals 31 2 4 2 Totals 31 5 7 5
A-Pinch Hit For Garcia In 6th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Zimmerman In 7th Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Forsythe In 7th Inning
D-Subbed Defensively (CF) For Taylor In 8th Inning
E-Subbed Defensively (2B) For Grichuk In 8th Inning
Bulldogs........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 2 4 2
Fighting Sioux.. 0 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 - 5 7 0
Bulldogs (1-2) IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
M.Wacha LOSS(0-1) 5 2/3 5 5 5 3 7 0 7.94
R.Montero 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 3.86
J.Garcia 2 1/3 1 0 0 2 0 0 0.00
Totals 8 7 5 5 6 7 0
Fighting Sioux (2-1) IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
F.Hernandez WIN(1-0) 8 2/3 4 2 2 1 3 2 2.08
B.Parker SAVE(1st) 0 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00
Totals 9 4 2 2 1 4 2
ATTENDANCE- 41,106 DATE- Saturday, April 18th 2018 TIME- Day
T- 2:48
LEFT ON BASE- Bulldogs: 3 Fighting Sioux: 9
DOUBLE PLAYS- Bulldogs: 0 Fighting Sioux: 0
ERRORS- J.Altuve, J.Abreu
DOUBLES- D.Freese(1st)
HOME RUNS- R.Braun-2(2nd)
RBIs- R.Braun-2(2nd), D.Freese(1st), A.Gordon(1st), A.Jones(2nd),
J.Castro-2(2nd)
CAUGHT STEALING- G.Garcia
SACRIFICE HITS- A.Gordon
WALKS- E.Inciarte, A.Cabrera-2, R.Zimmerman, L.Forsythe, A.Gordon, A.Jones
STRIKE OUTS- E.Inciarte, J.Abreu, C.Seager-2, C.Taylor, L.Forsythe, D.Freese,
A.Gordon, A.Jones-2, J.Castro
WILD PITCHES- J.Garcia
2-out RBI- R.Braun, A.Jones, J.Castro-2
RLISP 2-out- J.Castro, A.Jones, C.Taylor-2, K.Kiermaier-2, J.Abreu
TEAM RISP- Bulldogs: 0 for 1 Fighting Sioux: 2 for 12
Third baseman David Freese had 3 base hits as the Vermont Fighting Sioux
defeated the Slatington Bulldogs by the score of 5 to 2 at Fighting Sioux
Field.
Vermont took the lead for good in the bottom of the 2nd inning when they
scored 2 runs on 1 hit. Overall Vermont out-hit Slatington 7 to 4.
The victory went to Felix Hernandez(1-0) who went 8 and 2/3 innings, allowing
2 runs. Blake Parker got the save, his 1st. Michael Wacha(0-1) was the
loser. He gave up 5 runs and 5 hits in 5 and 2/3 innings.
SBU holds off VFS 8-7
BOXSCORE: 2018 Slatington Bulldogs At 2018 Vermont Fighting Sioux 4/17/2018
Bulldogs AB R H RBI AVG Fighting Sioux AB R H RBI AVG
R.Odor DH 5 1 2 2 .222 K.Kiermaier CF 4 3 3 1 .667
E.Inciarte CF 4 1 1 3 .375 R.Martin C 5 1 2 0 .500
J.Altuve 2B 4 0 3 0 .444 C.Correa SS 5 1 2 3 .375
W.Castillo C 4 0 1 0 .111 R.Zimmerman 1B 5 0 1 1 .300
J.Abreu 1B 5 0 0 0 .000 C.Taylor RF 4 2 3 0 .571
C.Pinder RF 3 2 1 0 .375 A-A.Cabrera PH 1 0 0 0 .000
R.Braun LF 5 1 1 0 .333 L.Forsythe 2B 2 0 1 1 .500
C.Seager SS 2 2 2 2 .833 E.Escobar 3B 4 0 0 0 .000
M.Franco 3B 2 1 0 0 .400 D.Freese DH 3 0 0 0 .000
A.Jones LF 4 0 1 1 .333
-- -- -- --- -- -- -- ---
Totals 34 8 11 7 Totals 37 7 13 7
A-Pinch Hit For Taylor In 9th Inning
Bulldogs........ 0 4 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 - 8 11 0
Fighting Sioux.. 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 2 - 7 13 2
Bulldogs (1-1) IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
M.Tanaka WIN(1-0) 8 1/3 11 6 6 4 9 2 6.48
M.Leiter 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 16.88
A.Chapman SAVE(1st) 0 2/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
Totals 9 13 7 7 4 9 2
Fighting Sioux (1-1) IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
B.Peacock LOSS(0-1) 5 8 8 8 7 8 1 14.40
P.Moylan 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
B.Parker 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 0.00
Totals 9 11 8 8 7 9 1
ATTENDANCE- 40,029 DATE- Friday, April 17th 2018 TIME- Night
T- 3:38
LEFT ON BASE- Bulldogs: 8 Fighting Sioux: 7
DOUBLE PLAYS- Bulldogs: 2 Fighting Sioux: 3
ERRORS- R.Zimmerman, C.Taylor
DOUBLES- E.Inciarte(1st), C.Seager(1st), K.Kiermaier(2nd), C.Correa(1st),
R.Zimmerman(1st), C.Taylor(1st), A.Jones(1st)
HOME RUNS- R.Odor(1st), K.Kiermaier(1st), C.Correa(1st)
RBIs- R.Odor-2(2nd), E.Inciarte-3(4th), C.Seager-2(2nd), K.Kiermaier(2nd),
C.Correa-3(3rd), R.Zimmerman(6th), L.Forsythe(1st), A.Jones(1st)
SACRIFICE HITS- E.Inciarte
WALKS- J.Altuve, W.Castillo, C.Pinder-2, C.Seager, M.Franco-2, K.Kiermaier,
L.Forsythe-2, D.Freese
HIT BY PITCH- C.Seager
STRIKE OUTS- E.Inciarte, J.Altuve, W.Castillo, J.Abreu-3, C.Pinder, R.Braun-2,
K.Kiermaier, R.Martin-2, C.Correa, L.Forsythe, D.Freese-2,
A.Jones-2
GIDP- R.Odor, R.Braun, M.Franco, R.Zimmerman, E.Escobar
WILD PITCHES- P.Moylan
2-out RBI- E.Inciarte-3, A.Jones, R.Odor-2
RLISP 2-out- J.Abreu-2, E.Escobar, E.Inciarte, C.Pinder, A.Cabrera
TEAM RISP- Bulldogs: 2 for 9 Fighting Sioux: 3 for 10
Rougned Odor hit a homerun and had 2 RBI at Fighting Sioux Field as the
Slatington Bulldogs beat the Vermont Fighting Sioux 8 to 7.
Masahiro Tanaka(1-0) had a fairly solid outing. He went 8 and 1/3 innings
allowing 11 hits and 4 walks. Tanaka whiffed an impressive total of 9
Vermont batters and gave up 2 homeruns. Vermont had a chance to come back in
the 9th but they came up short.
Aroldis Chapman recorded his 1st save. Brad Peacock(0-1) was the loser. He
allowed 8 hits and 7 walks in 5 innings.
Ryan Zimmerman's 5 RBIs lead Sioux to opening day win over SBU
BOXSCORE: 2018 Slatington Bulldogs At 2018 Vermont Fighting Sioux 4/16/2018
Bulldogs AB R H RBI AVG Fighting Sioux AB R H RBI AVG
R.Odor DH 4 0 0 0 .000 G.Garcia DH 3 1 1 1 .333
E.Inciarte CF 4 0 2 1 .500 B-K.Morales PH,DH 2 1 1 1 .500
J.Altuve 2B 5 0 1 0 .200 K.Kiermaier CF 2 1 1 1 .500
W.Castillo C 5 0 0 0 .000 D-A.Jones PH,CF 2 0 1 0 .500
J.Abreu 1B 4 0 0 1 .000 C.Correa SS 3 2 1 0 .333
C.Pinder RF 5 1 2 1 .400 R.Zimmerman 1B 5 1 2 5 .400
R.Braun LF 4 2 2 0 .500 C.Taylor RF 3 0 1 1 .333
C.Seager SS 4 1 3 0 .750 E-J.Marisnick RF 1 0 0 0 .000
M.Franco 3B 3 1 2 1 .667 L.Forsythe 2B 4 0 2 0 .500
E.Escobar 3B 4 0 0 0 .000
A.Gordon LF 4 1 1 0 .250
R.Martin C 1 2 1 01.000
A-R.Grichuk PH 1 0 1 01.000
C-J.Castro C 1 0 0 0 .000
-- -- -- --- -- -- -- ---
Totals 38 5 12 4 Totals 36 9 13 9
A-Pinch Hit For Martin In 5th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Garcia In 5th Inning
C-Subbed Defensively (C ) For Grichuk In 6th Inning
D-Pinch Hit For Kiermaier In 6th Inning
E-Subbed Defensively (RF) For Taylor In 7th Inning
Bulldogs........ 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 - 5 12 0
Fighting Sioux.. 3 1 0 4 0 0 0 1 - 9 13 0
Bulldogs (0-1) IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
J.Cotton LOSS(0-1) 0 2/3 2 3 3 2 1 1 40.50
M.Leiter 2 2/3 4 4 4 1 3 0 13.50
R.Montero 4 2/3 7 2 2 1 4 1 3.86
Totals 8 13 9 9 4 8 2
Fighting Sioux (1-0) IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
C.Anderson WIN(1-0) 7 1/3 9 5 5 5 7 1 6.14
E.Ramirez 1 2/3 3 0 0 0 1 0 0.00
Totals 9 12 5 5 5 8 1
ATTENDANCE- 29,532 DATE- Thursday, April 16th 2018 TIME- Night
T- 3:03
LEFT ON BASE- Bulldogs:11 Fighting Sioux: 7
DOUBLE PLAYS- Bulldogs: 1 Fighting Sioux: 1
DOUBLES- C.Pinder(1st), M.Franco(1st), K.Kiermaier(1st)
HOME RUNS- C.Pinder(1st), K.Morales(1st), R.Zimmerman(1st)
RBIs- E.Inciarte(1st), J.Abreu(1st), C.Pinder(1st), M.Franco(1st),
G.Garcia(1st), K.Morales(1st), K.Kiermaier(1st), R.Zimmerman-5(5th),
C.Taylor(1st)
STOLEN BASES- J.Altuve(1st)
WALKS- R.Odor, E.Inciarte, J.Abreu, R.Braun, M.Franco, K.Kiermaier, C.Correa-2,
R.Martin
STRIKE OUTS- R.Odor-3, W.Castillo-2, J.Abreu-2, C.Pinder, G.Garcia, K.Kiermaier,
C.Correa, L.Forsythe, E.Escobar-2, A.Gordon, J.Castro
GIDP- M.Franco, R.Zimmerman
2-out RBI- K.Kiermaier, J.Abreu, R.Zimmerman-2, C.Taylor, E.Inciarte
RLISP 2-out- W.Castillo, C.Correa, C.Pinder-2, L.Forsythe, J.Abreu, R.Odor,
J.Altuve, R.Braun
TEAM RISP- Bulldogs: 3 for 14 Fighting Sioux: 4 for 7
The Vermont Fighting Sioux bested the Slatington Bulldogs by a 9 to 5 score at
Fighting Sioux Field.
Ryan Zimmerman enjoyed a big evening at the plate. He lofted a three-run bomb
in the 1st inning and smacked a single scoring two baserunners in the 4th
inning. Vermont had a total of 13 hits for the game.
The victory went to Chase Anderson(1-0) who went 7 and 1/3 innings, allowing 5
runs. Jharel Cotton(0-1) was tagged with the loss. He surrendered 3 runs and
2 hits in 2/3 of an inning.
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Springfield Times Annual Mock Draft - 2018 Edition
Springfield (AP) –
First round draft picks
changed hands at a near record clip this offseason. Five teams (Georgia, Springfield,
Ed Couch, Lake Champlain, and Pocono) do not have selections in the first round
of this year’s draft. This is one short
of the record six from last year. The
Springfield AP wants to welcome a couple of newcomers to the first round this
year as the Phoenix Pony Express will
make its first ever selection in the 1st round of a NASBL draft and the
Canyon Country Cannons will do the same.
Well not really for Canyon Country, but this marks the first time in
four years that Brendan has a selection in Round 1 so it probably feels like it
to the Cannon faithful. Apologies to the
Illinois Chow Chows (who hold three first round selections with the 10th,
15th, and 16th selections), but this year’s draft belongs
to Grundy County and will clearly determine the future of Jack Howard’s
franchise. Although it was extremely
costly to do so, Grundy County has the 1st, 2nd, and 14th
picks in this year’s draft.
The Times predicts that
hitters will be over-represented in the 1st round with a full
three-fourths of the picks going to hitters.
Note that speaks more to the strength of the hitters vs. a dearth of
pitching in the 2018 draft.
Without further adieu, the following is the Springfield Times’ Annual First Round Projections.
#1) Grundy County Grizzlies – Aaron Judge (RF)
All Rise! Word is that Jack
Howard’s architects have been working double time since the middle of last
season. Finally, the Judge’s chambers have come to Grundy County. In a draft that includes power hitters
galore– the Judge broke MLB’s rookie record for home runs in a season and has
on base skills and defense to match. As
a result, Judge won the AL Rookie of the Year in MLB’s American League and
finished 2nd in the MVP race to Jose Aluve. Judge is clearly head and shoulders above all
others in this draft and deserves to go here.
There is a chance that Howard selects Cody Bellinger or Luis Severino
here – but that would only be because he can select Judge with the second pick
if he sees fit.
#2) Grundy County Grizzlies (from GRK) – Cody Bellinger (1B/OF)
It took an offer that Johnny Miller couldn’t refuse to pry this pick away
from Georgia. Even though Luis Severino
may make more sense here for the starting pitching starved Grizzlies, you don’t
make a deal like Howard did to take a guy who is one pitch away an operating
table and 18 months away from baseball. Did
I mention that Aaron Judge broke MLB’s rookie home run record? Well, Cody Bellinger broke MLB’s rookie home
run record in the Senior Circuit – a record that has stood since hall of famer
Frank Robinson played his first season as a member of the Cincinnati Redlegs
back in 1956. Bellinger/Judge will be
#3/#4 in the Grizz batting order for the foreseeable future – much to the
chagrin of the other teams in the Less Filling Central.
#3) Lehigh Valley Iron
Pigs – Luis Severino (SP)
Let me introduce you to Luis Severino.
He is a 24 year old starting pitcher that started 31 games and finished
3rd in the MLB Cy Young award behind only Corey Kluber and Chris
Sale. That is all you need to know in
order for you to realize that (a) this draft is loaded with high end talent AND
(b) Kevin Burns will make Severino his pick.
I have failed to mention yet that Severino threw 193 innings and struck
out 230 MLB hitters in his first full season.
Severino is an ace already and an easy pick here.
#4) Dallas Fort Worth Spurs – Mike Moustakas (3B)
Red Robbins needs a 3B
and there happens to be a guy who hit 38 homers in MLB at that position in Mike
Moustakas. There is also a 3B who hit 41
homers in MLB available here – but Joey Gallo clocked in with a smooth .209
batting average, 196 strikeouts, and is not known for his glove. As such, the Springfield Times predicts that
Moustakas becomes the first player in NASBL history to be taken in the 1st
round on THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. Moose
was drafted 11th overall in 2016 by the Fighting Sioux and 12th
overall in 2012 by the Bulldogs. Makes
you wonder why those teams gave him up and why no rebuilding team in NASBL ever
takes a flyer on Moose when he is injured or has a down year.
#5) Denville Ultras (from
SPR) – Rafael Devers (3B)
The Springfield Times is
a big believer that a player must be very special to be the youngest player in
the league – as Devers was in MLB’s American League. Well Devers checks off that box. It is extra special when that player rakes
from day one at the age of 20. Devers
checks off that box as well. Devers’
defense is definitely behind his offense at this point. However, the Ultras traded Max Scherzer to
the Topes for this pick and a couple of players. As such, the Ultras are clearly not in win
now mode and can be patient for the glove to come around.
#6) Denville Ultras – Yoan Moncada (2B)
Moncada entered this
season as the arguable #1 overall prospect in baseball. After a rough early call-up, Moncada hit his
stride with an .800 OPS the last two months of the season. Starlin Castro has to realize his days are
numbered as a member of the Ultras after this selection. These Devers/Moncada picks could end up being
seen as the launching off point when the Ultras are making deep runs in the
NASBL playoffs in a few years.
#7) Vermont Fighting Sioux – Matt Olson (1B/OF)
Matt Olson had 24 home
runs in 189 MLB at bats in his rookie season.
Olson’s clip of one home run every 7.15 at bats against righties is
simply gaudy. For comparison purposes, Giancarlo
Stanton had a homer for every 10.7 at bats against righties and Aaron Judge hit
a homer in every 9.75 at bats. To put
this in perspective, Mark McGwire had a homer every 6.89 at bats against
righties when he broke Roger Maris’ single season home run record. Oh yeah, Olson also is a well above average
fielder at 1B and hit at every level of the minors.
#8) Shawnee Crows – Chase Anderson (SP)
Finally, another pitcher
comes off the board. Anderson finally
harnessed his immense raw talent and turned in a great year in MLB 2017 posting
a 2.74 ERA in 25 starts and allowing only slightly more than a baserunner per
inning. The Crows are 1.5-3.5 starters
short of a full rotation (depending on how supplemental draft falls) and
Anderson is the first step in rebuilding the staff.
#9) Canyon Country Cannons – Tommy Pham (OF)
Pham finished 11th
in MLB’s NL MVP voting in 2017 – and deservedly so. Pham was a revelation for MLB’s St. Louis
Cardinals - putting up a .411 OBP and showed exceptional pop in 530 plate
appearances. The Cannons are EXTREMELY
happy that Pham is here and this pick clearly puts the Cannons in a position to
challenge for the title in 2018.
#10) Illinois Chow Chows – Andrew Benintendi (OF)
In 658 plate appearances
in MLB in 2017 as a 22 year old, Benintendi posted a very solid season as a
first time regular. The hype machine was
in full swing before the season started.
As such, Benintendi’s year may seem a little underwhelming at first
glance. Benintendi is a borderline gold
glove caliber outfielder who didn’t just put up his production in 200+ plate
appearances like many above him in this list.
Benintendi had to deal with a full season of pitchers adjusting to him
and more than held his own. Benintendi
finished the season with 20 homers and 90 RBIs and finished second in the AL
ROY balloting. There is a reason for the
hype.
#11) Phoenix Pony
Express – Rhys Hoskins (1B/OF)
Hoskins was the fastest player in MLB history to hit nine homers, ten
homers, eleven homers, twelve homers, thirteen homers, fourteen homers, fifteen
homers, sixteen homers, and seventeen homers.
You get the point. Hoskins burst
onto the scene in MLB like few players before him. Although he does not have the prospect
pedigree of many above him on this list, Hoskins turned in an impressive 1.014
OPS in 212 plate appearances. Is he a
flash in the pan? Even more impressive
may have been Hoskins’ 46/37 K/BB ratio.
Discipline like that bodes well for his future and Hoskins could turn
out to be a steal at #11.
#12) Outlaw Josey Wales – Joey Gallo (1B/3B/LF)
The prospect most
resembling Adam Dunn award winner in MLB in 2017 – Gallo hit 41 homers in his
first full year in MLB in 2017. 41
homers for a 24 year old at #12 overall – sign me up you say. Mark Hildebrandt agrees. To say there are warning signs that Gallo may
have issues living up to his prodigious power and pedigree for the long haul is
an understatement. Although quoting batting average is no longer in vogue and
strikeouts are considered collateral damage in exchange for power, one cannot easily
ignore a full season batting average of .209 and 196 strikeouts in 532 plate
appearances. That being said, Adam Dunn
hit 462 homers and had an .854 OPS across 14 seasons. If Gallo ends up being an Adam Dunn clone,
Outlaw will be thrilled with this pick.
#13) Slatington Bulldogs
– Chris Taylor (2B/SS/3B/OF)
Taylor entered this
season with little fanfare. All he did
was play six positions and put up an .850 OPS in a full 568 plate appearances,
and win MVP of the NLCS in his first full season in MLB. Taylor’s offense is for real. Although he can play anywhere, Taylor’s defense
seems to play better in the outfield – which is fine with the Bulldogs as they
could use another outfielder or two.
#14) Grundy County
Grizzlies (from ECN) – Zach Godley (SP)
After taking two sluggers at the top of the draft, the Grizz need a shiny
new pitcher with this pick. Godley or
Alex Wood represent the best available starting pitcher here. Six of one/half dozen of the other. When in doubt, the Grizz avoid the guy who
has averaged only 16 starts the last four years and take Godley here.
#15) Illinois Chow Chows (from LCC) – Ozzie Albies (2B)
The Springfield Times is
a big believer that a player must be very special to be the youngest player in
the league – as Albies was in MLB’s National League. Well Albies checks off that box. It is extra special when that player rakes
from day one at the age of 20. Albies
checks that box as well. The extra,
extra special thing about Albies is that his defense is not behind his offense
at this point. Albies grades out as one
notch below a gold glove 2B at age 20.
Chows get great value here at #15.
#16) Illinois Chow Chows
(from PCM) – José Berrios (SP)
Berrios flashed some of
the best stuff in all of MLB baseball in 25 fantastic starts during his first
full MLB season. Berrios also is not
afraid to pitch inside, as evidenced by his Don Drysdale-esque 13 hit
batters. Left handed batters got to him
during 2017. That is the only reason
that Berrios is still here for the Chows.
Great talent and a great pick here to round out the 1st round
of the 2018 draft.
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Decisions – Decisions - Decisions
The
Grundy County Grizzlies are in a quandary trying to figure who they are going
to take with the first draft pick. They
like Aaron Judge just fine, but they prefer Cody Bellinger. Another part of that equation is skipping
Judge and letting him fall to Georgia to play with Stanton and company. That is an ugly prospect, especially for my
Orioles.
Thinking
back to last year at this time GCG would not
have considered Judge or Bellinger with their pick. The Griz favorite for their first choice would
have been former Arkansas Razorback Andrew Benintendi. The Griz would still love to have Benintendi,
but now they are choosing between Judge and Bellinger.
So
Griz brass decided to make a play for the Reverent Johnny Miller’s 1st
round pick (2nd overall pick).
Mr. Miller told Griz brass to “Go Fish.”
Bears like to fish – so the Griz brass reviewed the Roadkill roster and
saw that it has a shot at NASBL dominance this season. Grizz Brass persisted offering Johnny 1B Paul
Goldschmidt and RHSP Danny Salazar (who Roadkill brass has sought in trade for
about a year). Goldschmidt completes an
infield of four (1) fielders for the Roadkill and Salazar gives the Roadkill a
young SP who has flashed ACE potential and is healthy again. The
Griz
submitted the offer and again Miller said “Go Fish,” again.
Miller
informed Griz brass that since he had already traded his 2 and 3 and because he
liked to draft he would keep his #1.
Miller told GCG brass that he figured the Griz to take Judge so he was
looking at the next logical pick – choosing between Bellinger or Severino (Luis
not Pedro).
The
Bears brass went back to hibernating with a wakeup call set for the draft. However, the phone rang a little early. Miller contacted them and looked to expand
the deal. Johnny saw the value of adding
Goldschmidt and Salazar to the Roadkill contender team and the discussions
heated up. Part of the reason Johnny may
have changed his mind was he could not decide between Cody or Luis. Both appear to have a great future. So, a trade was consummated – GCG trades 1B
Paul Goldschmidt, RHSP Danny Salazar, and the Griz #3 for Roadkill’s 1st
round (2nd overall pick) and LHSP Sean Manaea (Johnny needed room on
his roster before cuts to make the deal).
So,
the Grundy County Grizzlies have the 1st and 2nd picks of
the draft with every intent on picking Judge and Bellinger, or was that
Bellinger and Severino, or maybe it was two Yankees, Judge and Severino. Oh yeah – Benintendi may be in mix. This could be a tough but pleasant draft for
Grundy County fans.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
2018 NASBL Base Draft Order
After overusage adjustments, the base draft order for the 2018 NASBL Rookie / FA Draft will be:
1. Grundy County Grizzlies
2. Georgia Road Kill
3. Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs
4. Dallas Ft Worth Spurs
5. Springfield Isotopes
6. Denville Ultras
7. Vermont Fighting Sioux
8. Shawnee Crows
9. Canyon Country Cannons
10. Illinois Chow Chows
1. Grundy County Grizzlies
2. Georgia Road Kill
3. Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs
4. Dallas Ft Worth Spurs
5. Springfield Isotopes
6. Denville Ultras
7. Vermont Fighting Sioux
8. Shawnee Crows
9. Canyon Country Cannons
10. Illinois Chow Chows
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