High Heels On The Field

Trenton Thunder's Cody Johnson Looking For (and hitting) The Heater

Trenton, NJ - Cody Johnson is trying to keep it simple. As players like to say, keeping it simple and not doing too much leads to success. They can only control what they  can control. Surely you've heard it all before, but the simple truth also applies here. Lessons learned are simple to sum up.

"I was an idiot," Johnson says of his seventeen year old self. Now 22, the POS has found himself fighting to be of value to the Yankees and prove that he's worthy of a job.

 So far so good. Trenton Thunder manager Tony Franklin recently spoke glowingly of Johnson's contributions to the team this season. Hitting .266 with 12 home runs and 20 walks, he seems a more focused hitter and, certainly, more consistent despite the 59 strikeouts.

"I'm just trying not to [think]. I'm just trying to get a good pitch to hit."

It is this simple approach that gets so complicated. But Johnson knows all that too well. 2011 was a season filled with frustrations and when all was said and done, he'd struck out 194 times.

But this is how he works. Again, it's simple. He's not giving pitchers a lot to wonder about.

"I'm always looking for the fastball. I adjust to everything else. They might not throw a fastball, but the one time they try to sneak it in there, I'm going to be ready for it."

More of the simple-complicated approach Johnson is trying to stick to.

This season it is working for him better than ever.

Tyler Moore, Bryce Harper, and Stephen Strasburg Lead The Nationals Youth Movement

Philadelphia, PA - The Nationals don't need controversial promotions to garner attention right now. They're doing it all on the field.

They sit atop the National League East largely due to a hot May offensive performance and league-leading pitching. After averaging just 3.4 runs in April, they picked it up to 4.2 runs per game. The Nats have hit 28 home runs in their last 18 games. Nationals pitchers lead MLB in strikeouts with 365, with Gio Gonzalez leading the majors in K's with 69. Their 2.62 team ERA is the lowest in MLB.

In the mix and contributing is starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg, outfielder Bryce Harper, and infielder/outfielder Tyler Moore. All three, though at different levels of their professional careers, have given Nationals fans a glimpse of the kind of team building from the farm.

Strasburg's 2.21 ERA is 2nd on the team (Gonzalez leads at 1.98), returning fully to form after Tommy John surgery. He's also 2nd in the National League in strikeouts. Harper has been what we thought he was - a fierce competitor, fired up with energy, quick on the bases, good in the field, and productive at the plate since his call-up from Triple-A Syracuse. He's hitting .264 with 2 home runs and 9 RBI in 10 games. His ability to withstand the excruciating media attention and keep a level head after Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels inexplicably hit Harper and bragged about it has also been impressive. It was what he projected in the minors and had to have pleased the Nats PTB. And while Tyler Moore hasn't been able to play every day, he's stepping up to the challenge of playing the outfield and embracing whatever time he has up with the big club. When he was called up from Syracuse he was hitting .286 with 7 home runs, 20 runs knocked in, and 10 walks.

Tyler Moore spoke with me for Bus Leagues Baseball, as did Davey Johnson, about this opportunity. Please read the full story there.

St. Lucie Mets, Best Record In Minor Leagues

While most eyes are on Wilmer Flores progress, St. Lucie overall has been a solid unit to start 2012.

Their 28-8 record is the best in all of minor league baseball. Something they've managed without leading in more than a few categories, but areas that have made them an early force in the Florida State League.

Pitching leads the way with a league lowest team ERA of 2.67. They've collectively kept runners off base, walking just 103 batters in 313 innings and giving up the 2nd lowest number of hits in the league with 273. Their bullpen has been stellar, leading the league with 17 saves. Closer Adrian Rosario (0.00, 1.04) has the bulk of them under his belt, picking up 10 saves in 15 games.

Chase Huchingson and Cory Mazzoni have been outstanding parts of the rotation. Huchingson leads all St. Lucie pitchers with 30 strikeouts through 35.1 innings. Mazzoni hasn't lost a game yet. In 7 games he's 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA. Both pitchers have given up their share of walks, with Huchingson leading the way with 21, but the damage has been minimal. Mazzoni has allowed just 10 ER (3rd on team), Huchingson 10 (2nd).

Flores has so far done the job at the plate. His 39 hits is second to another top shortstop prospect, Daniel Muno, who has 40. Flores is hitting .315 in 34 games, and has struck out just 11 times. However, his 5 fielding errors leads the team, tied with Wilfredo Tovar and Richard Lucas. Flores defense has been a major area of concern and those results are proof he's still working on improving.

Cory Vaughn has brought the majority of the power with 8 home runs. But he's making that old tradeoff, striking out 31 times which is second on the club. Lucas leads with 33. Lucas has worked the walks though, with a team-leading 14.

Strikeouts haven't been a problem for the team, they're 246 K's is the second lowest in the league. Tovar has been punched out just 10 times in 110 at-bats. The team is also stealing at a steady rate. They're second in the league with 44 stolen bags. Outfielder Cesar Puello has been the leader there. He's got seven steals in his last five games.

St. Lucie also boasts the best home record in the league. The team is 14-3 at Digital Domain Park.

 

 

 

 

Grisham's 'Calico Joe' Tells Fictional Tale Of Top Prospect's Brief And Tragic Career

John Grisham's brilliant career as an author of legal fiction has led him to sports fiction twice before. But 2012 marks the first time he's spun a yarn about American's Pasttime.

His first forray into baseball was the true account 'An Innocent Man' about minor league baseball player Ron Williamson, who was convicted of rape and murder in the late 1980's, and, later, saw the conviction overturned.

'Calico Joe' introduces us to Paul Tracey, son of Mets pitcher Warren Tracey. Warren is at the end of his life and his now-adult son wants to put to rest a terrible moment involving his father in 1973. Enter Joe Castle.

Castle was a twenty-three-year old rookie that made his major league debut by making history. His debut is celebrated throughout all of baseball, but the celebration is cut short by a horrific moment in what would be his final game ever.

Warren Tracey is portrayed as pathetic and desperate, seething with resentment for all he lacks. His son - this is unsurprisingly, at it's heart, a father-son story- is ever hopeful, but rage and distrust have already risen to the surface. Baseball rarely bonds them, but, instead, drives them apart, with Warren at odds with his domestic life vs. his baseball life. Those themes are familiar to anyone familiar with the difficult balance baseball players strike to keep life sane. Warren, however, never shows any interest in balance. His son is left instead to form hero worship toward other players, creating scrapbooks, including one for Joe Castle. One piece of the collection later plays a big part in the unfolding of the truth about his father.

Grisham tenderly brings to life a boy that dreams of playing one day and burns for a father that will encourage and engage him. Paul is also the Everyboy - collecting baseball cards, tuning into any game he can get on a transistor radio, and, away from his father's eyes, awestruck by Castle.

The moment we finally meet Joe thirty years later, it's almost too hard to take. If you find yourself wiping your eyes, you're not alone.

There's a baseball question here, beyond the human elements, about the use of beaning a player and what can happen if it all goes wrong. Grisham's characters never delve too far into that code, but Warren has his own set of rules and has little remorse early on.

One failure in the book is probably not a shock. Grisham struggles to write female characters with any real depth or purpose to the story. There's an abused mother, Warren's wives (one mentioned is reduced to just a stripper), and Warren's current wife is portrayed as having little to no emotion about her husband's illness or death, obviously unhappy with her choice of mate, but unwilling to look for anything better. Paul's wife was an interior decorator, but (natch) gave it all up when she had the kids. That tactic has worked well for Grisham, so that the more interesting male lead has someone to bounce his life questions off of, while she quietly smiles and asks what his deepest thoughts are. One other female character, the wife of a reporter, is cutely described as knowing 'almost as much about baseball' as her husband. Well, of course, almost.

Outside of that flaw, there's little else to dislike. The story recreates games and the excitement and agony with colorful and expert detail. Readers might have liked to know Joe Castle a bit better, but this story isn't going to give you any real sense of justice. It's about tragic character flaws, unrealized greatness, and, finally, forgiveness.

 

Harper-Hamels Incident Inspires 'Beaning' Debate

Some players just create drama the moment they step to the plate.There's plenty of them and they make the game theater. They are the players you either love or hate.

Then there's Bryce Harper.

Finding a player more controversial before even making his major league debut would be difficult.

Harper's development was intensely covered and discussed from the time he was a young boy. The years he spent getting to pro-ball were brief after he elected to get his GED to get an early jump on college. He smashed records for College of Southern Nevada. The outfielder finally made it to professional baseball in 2010, first in the Arizona Fall League, then in 2011 for Class-A Hagerstown before a July 4th promotion to Double-A Harrisburg. National media coverage reached epic proportions (goes without saying, right?). Fans were on high, anticipating an announcement that he would make the Nationals 2012 major league roster out of spring training. He did not.

Instead, Harper headed to Triple-A Syracuse. He was hitting .250 with one home run,  when Ryan Zimmerman went down with an oblique injury.

Harper's nationally televised debut at Dodger Stadium was a fine success. He doubled in his third at-bat and got an RBR sac-fly in the ninth. He was unfazed by his surroundings or the hideous reaction of Dodgers fans, booing him when he stepped to the plate for the first time.

How did we not see it coming? Then again, maybe Harper did.

On May 6th, Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels took the mound. He hit Harper in the back in the first inning. Unfazed again, Harper took his base.

And that would've been fine. Nationals fans probably could've lived with that. Baseball would've went on.

But Hamels was willing to add to the drama. Post-game, to the delight of reporters, he admitted he hit him on purpose.

'Beaning' is no secret practice in baseball. It isn't viewed as a free-for-all or taken lightly. If a ball is aimed at a player at the plate, there's a reason. Could be he's hogging the plate. The pitcher brushes him back and it's understood. There will more than likely be a retaliation and a warning to both benches from the homeplate umpire. It's understood. If there's animosity from past incidents or tension between two players facing each other, tempers might stir. Also understood.

There is no reason for Hamels taking aim at Harper.

Sure, there's plenty of excuses. You can make a case for it. But there's nothing backing the argument up.

Beaning is a gentleman's agreement. And that was no act of a gentleman. Worse, it was the action of a hot-head with a World Series ring that is old enough, seasoned enough, too damn good, for such petty tactics.

Confessing to intentionally hitting Harper was Hamels second mistake. And it was just as much of a misfire and carried consequences. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told the press he wished he hadn't admitted to doing it. Ruben Amaro Jr., the team's GM, expressed disappointment. He made clear that was not the philosophy the organization ascribed to. Hamels would be suspended and Nationals GM Mike Rizzo, publicly calling Harper 'gutless', was fined.

Amaro and Manuel played plenty of baseball in their lives and understand fully that pitchers' throw at hitters intentionally sometimes. And they know why.

Hamels actions were only part of the problem. The fact that he did it was largely viewed as unfair and unnecessary. But the confession is what shocked the masses. Somehow, that made the whole thing worse. If we accept that beaning is an unwritten rule of baseball, we also must respect that there's some unwritten ground rules.

Hamels intent appeared to be inspired by a desire to shake a hotly-hyped prospect up and give him a not so-welcome to the big leagues. Actually, you can make your case for Hamels. No one in baseball can claim innocence. But the practice has it's place and time.

In this case, Hamels belief that he should aim that ball at the nineteen-year old rookie's head then gloat, and the public belief by many that Harper was deserving, is proof we've become ridiculous.

 

 

Mariners Top Four Showing Flashes Of Brilliance For The Jackson Generals

The Double-A Jackson Generals of the Southern League boast four of the top ranked prospects in baseball and they are already delivering on their promise.

Here are the results through April 30th.

 SS Nick Franklin - Franklin is currently hitting .296, 3rd on the team, with 8 walks. He's collected 9 RBI and made of his 24 hits, 6 are doubles. The 2009 27th round pick for the Mariners faced illness and a concussion last season, and his progress was disrupted for two months. 2012 gives him a chance to shine as the top offensive prospect that he is. The twenty-one-year old played 21 games for Jackson in 2011 and a full season at that level is important. However, if he continues to play that well a jump to Triple-A Tacoma. NOTE: Franklin began 2011 named an AFL All-Star and an MiLB Rising Star.

LHP Danny Hultzen - Hultzen has 26 innings under his belt (2nd to teammate Andrew Carraway)  and a 2.05 ERA in 5 starts. His 30 strikeouts is 7th in the league. The 23-year-old hasn't allowed more than five hits in any start this season. If he can cut down on the walks (12 so far), he will put himself in position for a quick progression through the system to the majors. NOTE: Was the Mariners first round selection in 2011 and made his professional debut later that year in the AFL.

RHP Taijuan Walker - There's been a few mixed results outings, but overall his 1.64 ERA leads all Jackson starters.  He's third in strikeouts to teammates Hultzen and James Paxton with 26. In his third year of pro-ball he needs to keep his composure and get out of jams. He's had more success without pesky runners on base and walked six. NOTE: Named Seattle's Organizational Pitcher of the Year for 2011.

RHP James Paxton - His 31 strikeouts leads all Jackson starters (5th in the league), but his 16 walks is also the highest on the team. He's third in hits for the Generals allowing 18 over 5 starts. On April 21'st he had his roughest outing yet, allowing 7 runs on 7 hits in 2 innings, bloating his ERA to a 23.41. But he bounced back earlier this week and lowered it to 3.09 going a season-high six innings, giving up just 1 run on 3 hits. Despite a few bumps, he was named league Pitcher of the Week on the 16th. NOTE: Chosen as an MiLB.com Organizational All-Star in 2011. Selected to participate in the Futures Game, also in 2011.

 

 

Eastern League Standout Stars: April

Position Players:

Jeff Kobernus, Harrisburg Senators, Washington Nationals  - The second baseman is hitting.340 in 23 games with 5 walks in 97 AB's and leading the league in hits with 33. He's struck out just 14 times. His impressive speed has resulted in a league-leading 18 stolen bases.

Jared Goedert, Akron Aeroes, Cleveland Indians -  In six of his last ten games he's collected 2 hits per contest. The third baseman has drawn 13 walks in 17 games and his .379 average leads all Aeros hitters.

Chris Rahl, Harrisburg - He leads the league in RBI with 18 and his 18 runs scored is tied for first with two others. He's second in stolen bases to teammate Kobernus with 8. His .589 SLG percentage is second in the league.

Darrin Ruf, Reading Phillies - The first baseman is third in hits with 29 and third in average, hitting .372 in 22 games. He has 15 hits in ten games, with a 5-hit night on April 15th. 

Rob Brantly, Erie Seawolves, Detroit Tigers - Third in RBI with 16,  and 9 of his 23 hits are doubles. He currently has a 7-game hitting streak going. 

 

Pitchers:

Daniel Rosenbaum, Harrisburg - The most impressive pitcher so far this season, his 0.94 ERA leads the league, as does his 3-0 record, innings pitched (28), and walks allowed (2), owed to his improved command and ability to throw strikes with both his off-speed stuff and his fastball.

Zack Wheeler, Binghamton Mets - The righty's 30 strikeouts leads the league and he hasn't surrendered a home run to anyone in 25 innings of work. He hasn't given up more than 5 hits over 5 starts, and 2-hit Erie on April 29th.

Trevor May, Reading - His 0.87 WHIP is second to Rosenbaum and he's third in strikeouts with 26. He leads the team with a 4-0 record and his 12 hits allowed are also lowest of all Reading pitchers this season.

Chris Heston, Richmond Flying Squirrels, SF Giants - The RHP's 1.13 ERA is second in the league. On April 7th he allowed one hit in 5 innings against New Britain. He struck out 7 on April 25th, allowing just one run on six hits. 

Luke French, New Britian Rock Cats, Minnesota Twins - He's pitched deep in games for the Rock Cats, tied with two others with 30 innings pitched. His 0.97 WHIP is 4th in the league. His 1.80 ERA is currently lowest overall of all Rock Cats pitchers.

 

The Bryce Harper Experience

Covering the bus leagues is a unique beat, but the day to day isn't full of extreme excitement. Not unless you're tuned into the minors. Today the interest is higher than ever and information is more easily accessible.

We're mostly writing about the hopefuls. Only a handful per season are no-doubt-about-it future major leaguers.

Covering Bryce Harper's season in the Eastern League when he played for Double-A Harrisburg, you got to see the real-life version of The Natural. A guy destined to be in the majors since early adolescence.

The media rules were unprecedented. We had little to no access to him unless he did something to effect the game and then reporters were permitted to interview him post-game. Nationals fans flocked to see what they might have in the future. Baseball fans came to see the most anticipated prospect of all-time, maybe get an autograph in their well-worn notebook or on a baseball. Some came to boo him. Just because he is what they say he is. 

The time was spent trying to find ways to cover him, without talking to him. Senators then-manager Tony Beasley became a lifeline. His first-hand perspective was valued in a sea of distant perspectives that drew from what they heard or believed. Harper's personality - raw, rascally, youthful- became the focus. Psychological analysis from baseball writers anyone?

The clutter of the hype did not dim the rest.

To watch him at the plate was to see the truth. It was the only thing that was factual. His massive figure with bat in hand, unloading on a fastball with seemingly no effort was the real story. But that tended to get buried. He was doing everything right on the field, but the force field of attention around him created a second story. We're not just covering players and games. We're letting readers in to see the person behind the player. With Harper that was virtually impossible. His personality became defined by the lack of knowledge about him. While that is totally unfair, writers and fans waited for the bits of information that could help them form an opinion.

He gave them/us something to work with. Telling the world he was a Yankees fan or what his favorite football team was, or letting the pitcher he hit a dinger off of know that he was enjoying every minute, certainly fed the fire. But it didn't really say much more than this was a young guy enjoying the ride.

The protectiveness makes sense now, as it did then. Even if there's some cons to the pros, a prospect like him needed a unique game plan for the spotlight.

While he wasn't accessible, he connected with the fans looking for autographs and a chance just to say hello. It became a quiet way for him to show a side of himself people weren't talking about.

For awhile he joined Twitter and riled some, but delighted many. That didn't last. The Nationals cracked down on social media behavior. He stepped away. A respectable move.

The player was the main thing, though. In this media saturated atmosphere it was refreshing, despite our jobs being more difficult.

Now the net is being pulled a bit. He's making his major league debut Saturday night against the Dodgers and it's the biggest story in baseball. How he handles all of that is important, but what the protection gave him was a chance to stay focused on playing. A talent doesn't come around like that...ever. But every professional player must learn how to juggle all of it. That's the trick now for him.

The experience isn't exactly what you heard. Perception is just that. But the next chapter in the story begins tonight.

My advice? Embrace the excitement, not the hype and hyperbole. Because that stuff is not the story.

Nationals Pitching Prospect Danny Rosenbaum Solid For The Senators

*Due to issues with the Going Nine/Baseball Digest site, I'm running this here.

Nationals Pitching Prospect Danny Rosenbaum Off To Excellent Start

The Harrisburg Senators Metro Bank Park has been a storied spot the past few years with top prospects Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper on the roster at different times.

But while the 2012 team is without such hyped names, the roster is full of some of the system’s top talent.

LHP Danny Rosenbaum has solidly begun the season, putting together a 2-0 record with a 1.25 ERA in 21 innings. He hasn’t walked a batter yet.  Baseball America ranks him 23^rd in the Nationals system.

The Senators visited Trenton to play the Thunder last weekend.  Here’s what Rosenbaum had to say, as well as manager Matt LeCroy.

 

LECROY:

“He’s been outstanding. I think it’s the best I’ve seen Danny and I’ve had him for two years. He’s commanding the baseball. He’s throwing his off-speed for strikes. “

On Improvements: “To me, fastball command.  Last year his fastball command wasn’t as good as it was in the past. His changeup’s actually really improved. He’s just been able to mix it up. And he’s been going deep in ballgames.”

On Pitching to Contact: “It helps when you have good defense behind you. And he’s able to allow contact and trust that they’ll make the plays.”

“Another thing I think he’s done better is he’s actually competing. His composure on the mound has really been outstanding. I see more fight in him than I have in the past.”

 

 

ROSENBAUM:

“It’s about my mentality. I’m trying to build on last year. My fielders have been great, so I feel comfortable enough letting hitters make contact.”

On Relationship with Catchers: “I’ve been in good sync with my catchers. I haven’t had to shake a lot of pitches off. They’ve caught some good games and I have a lot of confidence in them.  And I know they’re going to make the right calls. They have to know your repertoire. And they’ve done a great job. That goes a long way.”

On Transition from Class-A to Double-A: “It wasn’t really a difficult transition. Every time you get moved up they just keep telling you to do the same thing you’ve been doing. The thing is, with this level, you’re that much closer to the big leagues.  A lot of guys get called up from here. So these guys are a lot smarter and they’ve been around awhile. They’re a lot more consistent. It’s just a matter of learning. And we have some veteran guys on the team that I get to learn from.”

On Senators Relievers: “I have a lot of trust in this bullpen that if I get pulled in an inning, they’re going to shut the door for me.”

 

 

 

Talking Guns, Roses, and Texas League Winning with Padres Prospect Cody Decker

San Antonio Missions versatile infielder/outfielder Cody Decker went on the record with HHOTF and had a bit of fun. Here's the rundown on the Padres prospect:

His Current Walk-Up Music: Shadow of Your Love by Guns n Roses "It's an unreleased song by them. It's loud, aggressive, and attention-grabbing."

(Decker also mentioned that he likes real guns and real roses)

Last Movie He Went To See: Cabin in the Woods. "It's a great horror movie parody type of movie. And I'm a big old horror movie fan."

Teammates He's Had The Most (G-Rated) Fun With: Former teammate Cameron Monger and Decker were in rookie ball together and pranks were a way of life. "I duct taped his locker and froze his clothes."; Brandon Crawford was Decker's UCLA teammate and people-watching was making-fun-of-people watching. But it was a fellow teammate that got the real treatment. "His locker was in between ours and we terrorized him."

Decker''\'s best memory of his professional career has been winning last year's Texas League championship with the Missions. "I got hurt and ended up coming back for the playoffs, and had a good hand in winning it." He also admits that he doesn't check numbers, but 'used to care too much' about those things. When a teammate tried to inform him he was leading the LEAGUE IN home runs, he told him he didn't want to know.

Hidden (not so much) Talent: Decker likes to participate in Karaoke. Here's proof: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8J1-i8z2Q8

Downtime: "I see a lot of movies." He also loves to read comic books and 'fiddling' on Twitter. You can follow him @Decker6.

Looking Ahead In 2012: "I'd like to strike out less." He finished 2011 hitting .254 with 15 home runs, 45 RBI, and 53 hits, including 12 doubles. He struck out 68 times. This year he's starting off on a good foot. In 13 games he's hitting .313 with 5 home runs. He's drawn 7 walks and struck out 9 times in 30 plate apperances.