I went to Boston on Thursday for the Cape League All-Star Game. It was a really cool experience to have free rein over any section in Fenway Park, and the players were obviously having a blast taking BP, shagging balls and then playing a game in a Major League ballpark.
The persisting rain cut everything short and gave the West a 3-0, 5-inning win, but it didn't really put a damper on the experience while it lasted.
I still advocate keeping the All-Star Game on the Cape because it makes it easier for the diehard fans and volunteers to attend, but it was a lot of fun and would be a good idea to hold the festivities at Fenway once every few years. The announced crowd of 14,317 was bigger than I anticipated.
A lot of guys seemed to be overswinging during batting practice, but a few players stood out for taking solid rounds of BP. Chatham's Mike Murray from Wake Forest kept hitting solid line drives from his wide-base stance. Cotuit's Cameron Rupp from the University of Texas crushed a couple balls out of the stadium. Rupp also has the best arm among catchers. Orleans' Gary Brown from Cal State Fullerton, Y-D's Mickey Wiswall from Boston College and Falmouth's B.A. Vollmuth from Southern Mississippi hit well too.
I decided to make a random list of guys who hit at least one ball over the Green Monster seats during batting practice. They were Brown, Harwich's Connor Powers from Mississippi State, Orleans' Alex Hassan from Duke, Brewster's Harold Martinez from the University of Miami, Y-D's Micah Gibbs from LSU, Brewster's Jedd Gyorko from West Virginia and Rupp.
I didn't pay much attention to the Home Run Derby because I was actually talking to my former employer Peter Gammons during most of it (always good to name drop). It was almost an uncomfortable situation for the league when the first couple of guys struggled to find their home run swings. Congratulations to Powers, who beat Rupp in the finals.
Because each pitcher only threw one inning, I spent the game focusly mostly on them. Like many scouts I went to a section farther from the plate so I could sit under cover during the game, and I had to rely on the stadium radar gun for pitchers' velocities. As far as I can tell it was accurate compared to velocities I had seen from most guys earlier in the summer, considering each guy could let loose for his short appearance.
Wareham righthander Brandon Workman from the University of Texas looked like an All-Star starter in his inning of work. His fastball sat in the 94-95 mph range, and his 77-78 mph hammer curveball looked tremendous even from a more distant vantage point. Barring injury I would be very surprised if he didn't go in the first round of next June's draft.
Orleans lefthander Rob Rasmussmen from UCLA impressed me in my first live look of him since last summer. He is the only All-Star who appeared yesterday who I hadn't seen yet, and I had been meaning to catch him since one American League front office guy said earlier this summer that Rasmussen is a "Randy Wolf clone." Rasmussen is undersized at 5'11" 160, but he has tight mechanics and good arm action and throws with some effort but not extreme effort. His fastball sat in the 92-93 mph range and touched 94. His 81-82 mph curveball was a good pitch with tight break and it complemented his 85-87 mph slider well. He also threw a good 83 mph changeup with good tailing action down and in on left-handed hitters. He is another guy who should go in the first few rounds next year.
Wareham righthander Jack Armstrong from Vanderbilt put up the best velocity numbers of the day, as his fastball sat in the 95-96 mph range and he did a great job pounding it in on hitters' hands. His 83 mph changeup is a good pitch he is able to throw for strikes. He only threw one 78 mph slider with hard run, and he threw two curveballs, one at 80 mph and the other at 81. The one curveball he threw well had really impressive downward break.
Brewster righthander Kyle Blair from the University of San Diego struggled with his control. He was throwing across his body which really hurt his command. Blair's fastball sat around 92 mph, his 78 mph slider had good, hard run, his 79-81 mph changeup tailed in on right-handed hitters and he threw a decent 77 mph curve with steep break.
Wareham lefthander Eric Pfisterer from Duke still strikes me as more of a good college pitcher but he pitched effectively in his inning of work. His fastball sat in the 86-88 mph range and once touched 90. He threw a 78 mph curveball with sweeping 3/8 break and an average 81 mph slider with harder break. His best pitch is a deceptive 78-79 mph changeup with good downward movement.
Y-D lefthander Chris Sale from Florida Gulf Coast was the East Division MVP, but his inning was so quick we didn't get to see much from him. His goofy, deceptive motion is probably still his best asset, as the tall and very thin Sale flies at the hitter with all arms and legs. Sale's fastball sat in the 93-94 mph range and he also showed a good 80 mph slider. He is another guy scouts are talking about as a potential high pick next year.
Hyannis righthander Dallas Gallant from Sam Houston State pitched a quick fourth inning. His fastball sat around 93 mph and had good tailing action in on right-handed hitters. He showed a 79-80 mph curveball with sweeping break and a really good, hard 85 mph slider.
Orleans lefthander Elliot Glynn from UConn was probably the pitcher who impressed me the least, even though he didn't allow a run in his inning. He slings his pitches and has slight balance issues. His fastball sat around 87 mph and he threw an average slider that would run out of the strike zone.
Finally, Bourne righthander Stephen Harrold from UNC Wilmington came in and struggled with his control before a double play bailed him out to preserve the win. His fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range and had some tail in on right-handed hitters. His 80-82 mph slider had sharp break and he also showed an 80-81 mph curveball.
To me, Workman was the most impressive pitcher, followed by Armstrong, Rasmussen and Sale in that order.
It is also worth mentioning Cotuit third baseman Zack Cox looked great in his two at-bats which earned him the West Division MVP award. He crushed a triple off the centerfield fence against Rasmussen. It hit right near the garage door and must have travelled about 400 feet. He then went with an outside pitch for a single to left in his second at-bat. I like Cox's aggressive approach at the plate and he often swings at the first good pitch he sees and hits it well. It has been a struggle for me for the past couple of weeks now whether to make him or Gibbs my No. 1 position player prospect.
I will most likely be at Chatham at Y-D on Friday.
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Showing posts with label Dallas Gallant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dallas Gallant. Show all posts
Friday, July 24, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
July 23 for July 22 Update
I went to Hyannis again on Wednesday to see Hyannis play Brewster mainly because it was the most convenient place to go as I get my stuff together for the All-Star Game on Thursday.
I had already seen both starters, and with Brewster winning 1-0 there weren't many hitters to talk about either. But a few of the relievers who came in are worth discussing.
Righthander Kendal Volz from Baylor made his 2009 Cape League debut for Brewster, and it was a pleasant surprise to get to watch him pitch up here. Volz has been a highly-touted prospect and made a big name for himself last summer as Team USA's closer, but he fell to the ninth round of this year's draft when the Red Sox selected him after an up-and-down college season. Volz has reportedly thrown 97 mph in the past but his fastball sat in the 87-89 mph range Wednesday. His 76-80 mph slider was a very good pitch with late movement, and he didn't throw his changeup in his inning of work Wednesday. Volz is big with a solid build at 6'4" 220, but he throws with effort. He clearly wasn't at top form.
Brewster right-handed reliever Tyler Thornburg from Charleston Southern was also interesting to watch. I caught Thornburg throw during the first week of the season, but hadn't seen him since then before Wednesday night. Thornburg is undersized at 5'11" 176, and he throws with big-time effort. He gets good extension and has a hitch in his motion before he throws straight over the top. I hesitate to make this comparison, as his mechanics are not as exaggerated and his stuff is not as good, but Thornburg evokes a faint comparison to Tim Lincecum. But Thornburg's command is not as good, he doesn't throw as hard and his curveball doesn't break as much. Still, Thornburg's fastball sat in the 93-94 mph range, and his 77 mph curveball had very good overhand break. He also showed a decent changeup with some tailing action in on right-handed hitters. Thornburg impressed me more than he did the last time I saw him when his curveball wasn't working for him, but with his command he is kind of an adventure every time out.
Brewster right-handed reliever Stayton Thomas from the University of Texas was decent too. He is also undersized at 5'11" 175, and he throws with some effort. Thomas' fastball sat in the 87-89 mph range and had some glove-side run and sinking action. He threw a very good 72-74 mph curveball with big break. With his size his velocity might be maxed out, and his current two-pitch combination likely wouldn't be good enough to consistently fool professional hitters.
Hyannis right-handed reliever Dallas Gallant from Sam Houston State showed good stuff again but struggled with his control. One of the more successful relievers in the league this summer, Gallant's fastball sat in the 91-92 mph range, his hard 84-85 mph slider had really tight break, and it complemented his sweeping 77-79 mph curveball well. Gallant has good size and a thin, athletic build at 6'3" 185. Scouts are talking about him as one of the better relievers on the Cape.
Finally, Hyannis left-handed reliever Mark Gormley arkfrom Brown, who pitched for Brewster earlier in the summer, looked better than I remembered him in previous outings. Gormley is average height for a pitcher with an athletic build at 6'2" 200. He has good arm action but he throws with effort and falls off the mound when he throws. Gormley's fastball sits in the 87-88 mph range. He has a decent changeup that tails back in toward left-handed hitters, and an average slider.
Both catchers looked good behind the plate Wednesday, and each threw out two runners trying to steal second base. Brewster's Dan Butler from the University of Arizona moves very well back there and has a really accurate arm. His bat isn't as good as his defense, and Butler is already three months away from his 23rd birthday which limits his status as a prospect. He is also a little undersized for a catcher at 5'10" 190. Hyannis' Kenny Swab from Young Harris has struggled terribly at the plate this summer, but he is also a good defensive backstop.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Falmouth 7 Chatham 6, Falmouth 5 Chatham 2: In the first game of the doubleheader, rightfielde Ryan Jones from Wichita State went 3-for-3 and second baseman Connor Mach homered for Falmouth. Centerfielder Whit Merrifield from the University of South Carolina went 2-for-3 with three RBI. In the second game, shortstop B.A. Vollmuth from Southern Mississippi homered for Falmouth and first baseman Dean Green from Oklahoma State homered for Chatham.
Bourne 4 Wareham 0: Bourne right-handed starter Alex Wimmers from Ohio State pitched six shutout innings, allowing four hits and four walks and striking out 10. Second baseman Pierre LePage from UConn and shortstop Zack MacPhee from Arizona State each had two hits for Bourne.
My All-Star Game recap will appear Friday afternoon, highlighting the best performances of the league's signature event.
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com
Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel
I had already seen both starters, and with Brewster winning 1-0 there weren't many hitters to talk about either. But a few of the relievers who came in are worth discussing.
Righthander Kendal Volz from Baylor made his 2009 Cape League debut for Brewster, and it was a pleasant surprise to get to watch him pitch up here. Volz has been a highly-touted prospect and made a big name for himself last summer as Team USA's closer, but he fell to the ninth round of this year's draft when the Red Sox selected him after an up-and-down college season. Volz has reportedly thrown 97 mph in the past but his fastball sat in the 87-89 mph range Wednesday. His 76-80 mph slider was a very good pitch with late movement, and he didn't throw his changeup in his inning of work Wednesday. Volz is big with a solid build at 6'4" 220, but he throws with effort. He clearly wasn't at top form.
Brewster right-handed reliever Tyler Thornburg from Charleston Southern was also interesting to watch. I caught Thornburg throw during the first week of the season, but hadn't seen him since then before Wednesday night. Thornburg is undersized at 5'11" 176, and he throws with big-time effort. He gets good extension and has a hitch in his motion before he throws straight over the top. I hesitate to make this comparison, as his mechanics are not as exaggerated and his stuff is not as good, but Thornburg evokes a faint comparison to Tim Lincecum. But Thornburg's command is not as good, he doesn't throw as hard and his curveball doesn't break as much. Still, Thornburg's fastball sat in the 93-94 mph range, and his 77 mph curveball had very good overhand break. He also showed a decent changeup with some tailing action in on right-handed hitters. Thornburg impressed me more than he did the last time I saw him when his curveball wasn't working for him, but with his command he is kind of an adventure every time out.
Brewster right-handed reliever Stayton Thomas from the University of Texas was decent too. He is also undersized at 5'11" 175, and he throws with some effort. Thomas' fastball sat in the 87-89 mph range and had some glove-side run and sinking action. He threw a very good 72-74 mph curveball with big break. With his size his velocity might be maxed out, and his current two-pitch combination likely wouldn't be good enough to consistently fool professional hitters.
Hyannis right-handed reliever Dallas Gallant from Sam Houston State showed good stuff again but struggled with his control. One of the more successful relievers in the league this summer, Gallant's fastball sat in the 91-92 mph range, his hard 84-85 mph slider had really tight break, and it complemented his sweeping 77-79 mph curveball well. Gallant has good size and a thin, athletic build at 6'3" 185. Scouts are talking about him as one of the better relievers on the Cape.
Finally, Hyannis left-handed reliever Mark Gormley arkfrom Brown, who pitched for Brewster earlier in the summer, looked better than I remembered him in previous outings. Gormley is average height for a pitcher with an athletic build at 6'2" 200. He has good arm action but he throws with effort and falls off the mound when he throws. Gormley's fastball sits in the 87-88 mph range. He has a decent changeup that tails back in toward left-handed hitters, and an average slider.
Both catchers looked good behind the plate Wednesday, and each threw out two runners trying to steal second base. Brewster's Dan Butler from the University of Arizona moves very well back there and has a really accurate arm. His bat isn't as good as his defense, and Butler is already three months away from his 23rd birthday which limits his status as a prospect. He is also a little undersized for a catcher at 5'10" 190. Hyannis' Kenny Swab from Young Harris has struggled terribly at the plate this summer, but he is also a good defensive backstop.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Falmouth 7 Chatham 6, Falmouth 5 Chatham 2: In the first game of the doubleheader, rightfielde Ryan Jones from Wichita State went 3-for-3 and second baseman Connor Mach homered for Falmouth. Centerfielder Whit Merrifield from the University of South Carolina went 2-for-3 with three RBI. In the second game, shortstop B.A. Vollmuth from Southern Mississippi homered for Falmouth and first baseman Dean Green from Oklahoma State homered for Chatham.
Bourne 4 Wareham 0: Bourne right-handed starter Alex Wimmers from Ohio State pitched six shutout innings, allowing four hits and four walks and striking out 10. Second baseman Pierre LePage from UConn and shortstop Zack MacPhee from Arizona State each had two hits for Bourne.
My All-Star Game recap will appear Friday afternoon, highlighting the best performances of the league's signature event.
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com
Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel
Friday, July 17, 2009
July 17 for July 16 Update
I went to Hyannis on Thursday to watch Hyannis play Brewster. The skies threatened rain during most of batting practice, but aside from a very brief drizzle in the first few innings they played the game in dry conditions.
The Major League scout total was once again near 20, and this time the best non-baseball-related conversation I overheard was about how you can't find tins of tobacco at a reasonable price anywhere on the Cape.
Hyannis won 5-1 behind a great pitching effort from right-handed starter Tyler Wilson from the University of Virginia.
Wilson was dominant Thursday, and he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He ended up going seven and allowed no runs on two hits while striking out nine. Wilson is average height for a pitcher with a thin, athletic build at 6'2" 185, but you can tell he is a really good athlete and he brings an intense, competitive presence to the mound. Wilson throws easily with good arm action. Wilson's fastball sat in the 90-91 mph range, and he had really good command working both sides of the plate Thursday. His 81-82 mph slider had tight break but was just average, and he also threw a pretty good 78 mph changeup. Wilson competes, but he needs to have command like he did Thursday to be continually effective.
Brewster left-handed starter Sean Bierman from Vanderbilt looked good until the sixth inning when he got shelled for four of the five runs he allowed. Biermann is average height with a solid build at 6'0" 200. He gets good extension and throws easily but he has stiff arm action and he falls off the mound toward third base when he throws. Biermann's fastball sat mostly in the 87-89 mph range but crept up to 90 and 91 once or twice. He would fall into lapses where he would struggle with his control. Biermann also threw an average 74-76 mph curveball with sweeping break, and he spun an 80-82 mph slider that had kind of a cutter effect but was really just a subpar slider.
Right-handed reliever Dallas Gallant from Sam Houston State showed a good arm out of the bullpen for Hyannis. He's above-average height with a thin athletic build at 6'3" 185. He throws with some effort, and his fastball sat around 91 mph. He had a really good 75-77 mph curveball with sharp 3/8 break, and also showed an 82 mph slider that wasn't as good. Gallant was named an All-Star as Hyannis' closer, and he is one of the better relievers in the league.
Brewster centerfielder Jarrett Parker from the University of Virginia really impressed me during batting practice but then struggled in the game. Parker comes to the Cape as a highly-regarded prospect, but he's hit just .209 since he arrived a couple of weeks ago after the College World Series. Under the batting cage before the game, Parker showed a really smooth, easy swing and drove the ball to all fields. He launched a deep home run on one of his last few swings in BP. But in the game he just looked really uncomfortable at the plate and finished 0-for-3 with a walk, striking out twice. Parker is a good outfielder and an athletic kid with a good body, but he needs to apply his hitting ability to the games more consistently.
Hyannis rightfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. from the University of South Carolina played really well Thursday. Bradley is undersized for a corner outfielder at 5'11" 178, and he was hitting just .195 coming into the game. But Bradley showed some really advanced hitting with his three-hit game Thursday. His first hit was a double to left-center when he stayed within himself and drove an outside fastball to the gap. His second hit he stayed back on a curveball away and just stuck his bat out and poked it to left for a single. In his final at-bat he showed really quick hands and turned on an inside fastball he drove down the rightfield line for a triple. Bradley has great speed as well.
AROUND THE LEAGUE:
Cotuit 8 Orleans 5: First baseman Tony Plagman from Georgia Tech homered for Cotuit, and left fielder Cory Vaughn from San Diego State and centerfielder Jeff Rowland from Georgia Tech, Cleveland's 21st round pick, each had two hits. Leftfielder Kevin Muno from the University of San Diego went 4-for-4 for Orleans.
Look for a SPECIAL COMMENT (I'm stealing that from Keith Olbermann) about Thursday's All-Star selections. Who got snubbed? Who shouldn't have gotten picked? That should be up sometime in the early afternoon.
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com
Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel
The Major League scout total was once again near 20, and this time the best non-baseball-related conversation I overheard was about how you can't find tins of tobacco at a reasonable price anywhere on the Cape.
Hyannis won 5-1 behind a great pitching effort from right-handed starter Tyler Wilson from the University of Virginia.
Wilson was dominant Thursday, and he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He ended up going seven and allowed no runs on two hits while striking out nine. Wilson is average height for a pitcher with a thin, athletic build at 6'2" 185, but you can tell he is a really good athlete and he brings an intense, competitive presence to the mound. Wilson throws easily with good arm action. Wilson's fastball sat in the 90-91 mph range, and he had really good command working both sides of the plate Thursday. His 81-82 mph slider had tight break but was just average, and he also threw a pretty good 78 mph changeup. Wilson competes, but he needs to have command like he did Thursday to be continually effective.
Brewster left-handed starter Sean Bierman from Vanderbilt looked good until the sixth inning when he got shelled for four of the five runs he allowed. Biermann is average height with a solid build at 6'0" 200. He gets good extension and throws easily but he has stiff arm action and he falls off the mound toward third base when he throws. Biermann's fastball sat mostly in the 87-89 mph range but crept up to 90 and 91 once or twice. He would fall into lapses where he would struggle with his control. Biermann also threw an average 74-76 mph curveball with sweeping break, and he spun an 80-82 mph slider that had kind of a cutter effect but was really just a subpar slider.
Right-handed reliever Dallas Gallant from Sam Houston State showed a good arm out of the bullpen for Hyannis. He's above-average height with a thin athletic build at 6'3" 185. He throws with some effort, and his fastball sat around 91 mph. He had a really good 75-77 mph curveball with sharp 3/8 break, and also showed an 82 mph slider that wasn't as good. Gallant was named an All-Star as Hyannis' closer, and he is one of the better relievers in the league.
Brewster centerfielder Jarrett Parker from the University of Virginia really impressed me during batting practice but then struggled in the game. Parker comes to the Cape as a highly-regarded prospect, but he's hit just .209 since he arrived a couple of weeks ago after the College World Series. Under the batting cage before the game, Parker showed a really smooth, easy swing and drove the ball to all fields. He launched a deep home run on one of his last few swings in BP. But in the game he just looked really uncomfortable at the plate and finished 0-for-3 with a walk, striking out twice. Parker is a good outfielder and an athletic kid with a good body, but he needs to apply his hitting ability to the games more consistently.
Hyannis rightfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. from the University of South Carolina played really well Thursday. Bradley is undersized for a corner outfielder at 5'11" 178, and he was hitting just .195 coming into the game. But Bradley showed some really advanced hitting with his three-hit game Thursday. His first hit was a double to left-center when he stayed within himself and drove an outside fastball to the gap. His second hit he stayed back on a curveball away and just stuck his bat out and poked it to left for a single. In his final at-bat he showed really quick hands and turned on an inside fastball he drove down the rightfield line for a triple. Bradley has great speed as well.
AROUND THE LEAGUE:
Cotuit 8 Orleans 5: First baseman Tony Plagman from Georgia Tech homered for Cotuit, and left fielder Cory Vaughn from San Diego State and centerfielder Jeff Rowland from Georgia Tech, Cleveland's 21st round pick, each had two hits. Leftfielder Kevin Muno from the University of San Diego went 4-for-4 for Orleans.
Look for a SPECIAL COMMENT (I'm stealing that from Keith Olbermann) about Thursday's All-Star selections. Who got snubbed? Who shouldn't have gotten picked? That should be up sometime in the early afternoon.
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com
Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel
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