Hughes, Ajax named to Rising Stars Showcase

October 21, 2008 by Mike Axisa 44 Comments

The rosters for the Rising Stars Showcase, essentially the Arizona Fall League All-Star Game, have been released, with the two most obvious Yanks’ farmhands making the National Team. The game is this Friday at 7:15pm local time (10:15 on the east coast), and Phil Hughes will get the start against the Braves’ Tommy Hanson. There’s a good chance the game will be on MiLB.tv, but we won’t know for sure until Friday comes. It will definitely be available on Gameday, though.

A.D.

Showcase starting matchup for 2 names people are loving to throw around for Peavy
Slugger27

damn… great pitching matchup, should be fun to watch… ajax gonna start or come off the bench??
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
  
  Not sure, but I’m guessing he’ll start. He’s definitely the highest profile outfielder on either team.
- Mike Pop
  
  He betta star hes a Yankee !
pat

Seeing as though this is a big stage im predicting ajax makes no less than 3 great plays. 2 in the field and 1 at the plate.
- Slugger27
  
  he has a poster of josh beckett and dustin pedroia up in his room… how could he NOT deliver in the clutch??
http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=594331910&ref=name Jamal G.

Phil Hughes up against Tommy Hanson? Oh my!
Mike Pop

Hughes or Hanson ?
- Slugger27
  
  hanson by far… theyre classic… i still jam to mmm-bop
  - Mike Pop
    
    What if Hanson comes up next year and gets injured and doesnt win a game ? And Hughes is lil better than league average ? Is Hanson still better
    - Slugger27
      
      swing and a miss… sigh….
      
      to answer ur question, i think hansons value has a slight edge… theyre both top flight pitching prospects though
  - http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
    
    I dunno about you, but I think the middle sister is the hottest.
    - Slugger27
      
      taylor is smokin hott… im not buying the “hes actually a guy” rumors… that chick is pretty!!
      - http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=594331910&ref=name Jamal G.
        
        Someone is going to take this too far… and I can’t wait!
        
        http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
        
        This joke stopped getting funny the second he revealed that he knew one of their names.
        
        http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=594331910&ref=name Jamal G.
        
        Heh, manhood and heterosexual FAIL.
        
        http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos
        
        Like Dave Attell says, “I don’t think you’re gay if you watch the Ice Capades, I think your gay if you’re all, “DUDE, SHUT THE FUCK UP, I’M TRYING TO WATCH THE ICE CAPADES!!!”
        
        http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=594331910&ref=name Jamal G.
        
        Ah man, Dave Attell is all sorts of awesome. He, Chris Rock, Lewis Black and the late Bernie Mac are/were my favorite comedians.
        
        http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos
        
        I’d add Chappelle and Louis C.K. to that list. (although Lucky Louie totally sucked.)
        
        Did you catch Kill the Messenger? I thought it was just okay. Chris may be on the downslide of his career…
        
        http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=594331910&ref=name Jamal G.
        
        You know what’s funny, those are the other two names I thought of as soon as I clicked the “Add Comment” tab.
        
        As to Lucky Louie, you really didn’t like it? I did. Not to mention his wife, she was one hot, old chic.
        
        Andy In Sunny Daytona
        
        I saw this guy Pierre in LA about 10 years ago, and it had to be the funniest set of comedy that I ever heard. He absolutely killed that night.
        
        I think you guys for got about Dane Coo.., hahaha I almost made it all the way through that. He broke Dave Chappelle’s stand-up record for consecutive hours on stage. Shouldn’t there be a caveat that it at least has to be funny?
        
        Slugger27
        
        **puts head down in shame**
        
        http://allfourbases.blogspot.com/ Ryan
        
        and got sad when you pretended you DIDNT know their names
        
        http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
        
        Touche.
  - Chris
    
    If anyone is actually interested, they’re playing upstate on Saturday.
Andy In Sunny Daytona

Shouldn’t it be called “The Showcase Showdown”?
- http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos
  
  I’m Andy in Sunny Daytona, reminding you to have your pets spayed or neutered. Bye bye, everybody!
- E-ROC
  
  Price’s Right?
jersey

on the heels of this announcement seeing as how its semi related…mr francesa on the fan said hed trade cano ajax hughes whatever they want for none other then nate mclouth…to his credit he did say hed have a hard time letting hughes go lol what a joke im guessing and hoping that the yanks front office doesnt hold the same sentiment… i dont understand the love fest wit nate mclouth…he is a very average fielder who had a career year at the plate and personally id much rather see gardner in center next year…
- http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos
  
  Mike Francesa = George W. Bush.
  
  “Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we. “
- http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=594331910&ref=name Jamal G.
  
  I don’t have a subscription to BillJamesOnline.com, but didn’t James’ plus/minus defensive system rate Nate McClouth as a -21 defender in Center Field this season?
  
  Trust me, when Mike Francessa likes a player, he fucking likes a player: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bZAuH7pSgc
  - Steve
    
    Yeah, that’s right -21 as a CF. He’s also a one year wonder with the bat, his previous 3 seasons in the bigs were all unimpressive.
    
    And the notion that PITT would take Cano and his 27 mil owed over the next 3 years is absurd. He followed with “well the Yanks could just eat some of that contract”. The Yanks NEVER eat money as a firm policy. They didn’t with Randy Johnson, they didn’t with Sheffield, even though in both cases they would have got back better prospects if they did.
    
    They don’t eat salary because they know what everyone else knows, that the Yanks have the deepest pockets and if they started doing that, it would never end. Its bad enough they pay revenue sharing/luxury taxes, they don’t need to pay players to play on other teams as well.
Reggie C.

RUMOR ALERT: From the MLBTraderumors chat

STL Today reporting that there are discussions b/w Yanks and Cards

Rick Ankiel & Bryan Anderson for Hughes, Kennedy, and third prospect

— anderson is a catching prospect. an excellent one at that.
- http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos
  
  That’s a good rumor… FOR ME TO POOP ON!!
  - E-ROC
    
    Diarrhea? You may need to use baby wipes instead of regular toilet paper.
  - whozat
    
    Didn’t that rumor get debunked yesterday?
- E-ROC
  
  I guess that person found that rumor off this forum. Then the person who posted the rumor saw it on FSN.
  
  http://www.stltoday.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=579671
  
  I think the funny part is reading Cardinal fans responses to the possible rumor. They like Hughes and Kennedy and would do that trade in a heart beat.
  - A.D.
    
    I think most people in the cards org. would want to do that trade
- http://evizions.com eVizions
  
  That trade would logjam us even more. Ankiel plays right, so Nady would be in left, Damon in center and Matsui at DH. Sure, why not sell the farm to create more problems.
  - Chris
    
    Ankiel played mostly CF. Not sure if he was any good (other than his incredible arm).
    
    The most amazing thing about him is that he can throw a strike on a line from the outfield wall 300 feet to third base, but couldn’t throw strikes from the mound.
Steve

From the Baseball Prospectus article previously linked

“Jeremy bleich, lhp, waikiki beachboys (yankees)

He models his game after andy pettite’s, but he’s kind of a smaller and less powerful version at best, using his average-at-best fastball to set up his plus secondary pitches (a curve and a very deceptive changeup). It’s going to come down to his ability to throw strikes, and the right strikes, and we don’t have enough to go on yet.”

A lefty with a very deceptive change up could make him a bullpen candidate similar to Okijima.
Steve

Mike, someone told me Horne is Rule 5 eligible this year.

Is that true and what would that likely mean for him?
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
  
  He is. College players drafted in 2005, and high schoolers drafted in 2004 are Rule 5 eligible this year. He’s still recovering from his torn labrum, but supposedly he’ll be ready to start pitching again in ST. I imagine they’ll protect him, he’s not the kind of guy you risk losing – he’s too close to big league ready.
  - Steve
    
    True, but he’s also only had 3 full seasons of pitching in the past 7 years. And he was one of those guys who took 2 full years to recover from TJ, furthering his rep for not being the world’s hardest worker. Now add a torn labrum to the list, and shoulders are tricky under the best circumstances.
    
    They could decide he’s just too injury prone, too banged up and let him go. Guess it will come down to “do we protect Horne or ___” If we know who the other name is, then the decision may be more clear.
    
    http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/H/Alan-Horne.shtml