Montero goes deep while SWB splits doubleheader

September 1, 2010 by Mike Axisa 51 Comments

Various notes…

So it turns out the Tzu-Wei Lin signing will not happen. Apparently the kid never bothered to sign the contract. Go figure. (h/t MLBTR)
Melky Mesa, Bradley Suttle, and manager Torre Tyson were all named to the High-A Florida State League postseason All Star Team.
Meanwhile, Rob Lyerly was the only Yankee farmhand named to the Low-A South Atlantic League postseason All Star Team. Congrats to everyone.

Triple-A Scranton
Game One (4-3 loss to Buffalo in 7 innings) makeup of an August 12th rain out
Reid Gorecki, RF: 2 for 4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 E (throwing)
Kevin Russo, 2B: 3 for 3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB – second straight game with a two-bagger
Jesus Montero, DH: 1 for 4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K – just three away from tying his career high of 34 doubles, set back in 2008 … he’s already set a new career high with 18 homers
Jorge Vazquez, 1B: 1 for 4, 1 K
Colin Curtis, CF, Brandon Laird, 3B & P.J. Pilittere, C: all 1 for 3 – Curtis drove in a run & K’ed twice … Laird K’ed
Chad Huffman, LF & Eric Bruntlett, SS: both 0 for 3 – Huffman K’ed
Hector Noesi: 6 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 HB, 1 WP, 6-5 GB/FB – 71 of 99 pitches were strikes … 147-27 K/BB ratio in 153.2 IP

Game Two (4-1 win over Buffalo in 7 innings)
Reid Gorecki, CF & Kevin Russo, SS: both 0 for 3, 1 R, 1 BB – Gorecki swiped a bag … Russo struck out
Jesus Montero, C: 3 for 4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 K – okay, make that a career high 19 homers
Juan Miranda, 1B: 1 for 4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Chad Huffman, LF: 1 for 2, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
Colin Curtis, DH, Brandon Laird, 3B & Edwar Gonzalez, RF: all 1 for 3 – Edwar struck out in his AAA debut
Robby Hammock, 2B: 0 for 3, 1 K
John Van Benschoten: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 7-2 GB/FB – 33 of his 55 pitches were strikes (60%)
Eric Wordekemper: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1-1 GB/FB – 21 of his 29 pitches were strikes (72.4%)
Kevin Whelan: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K – 17 of his 24 pitches were strikes (70.8%) … looks like he’s going to get the first crack at filling the closer’s role with Jon Albaladejo in New York

Double-A Trenton (4-2 win over Akron)
Justin Christian, LF: 2 for 3, 3 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB – career high 15-game hitting streak … he’s been en fuego of late, I’m happy for him
The Austins: both 0 for 4 – Krum didn’t really do anything, but Romine struck out once
Dan Brewer, RF: 1 for 4, 1 RBI, 1 SB - 14 for his last 41 (.341)
Everyone Else: combined 0 for 14, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K
Andrew Brackman: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HB, 11-3 GB/FB – love all the grounders, especially from the tall guy
Wilkin DeLaRosa: 2 IP, zeroes, 1 K, 1-4 GB/FB
J.B. Cox: 1 IP, zeroes, 1 K, 2-0 GB/FB – 12 K in his last 13.1 IP

High-A Tampa (5-1 loss to Brevard County)
Ray Kruml, CF: 1 for 4, 1 K
Jose Pirela, 2B, Bradley Suttle, 3B, Addison Maruszak, SS & Myron Leslie, 1B: all 0 for 4 – Suttle & Maruszak each K’ed twice
Zoilo Almonte, RF: 1 for 2, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K
Jose Gil, C & Trent Lockwood, DH: both 1 for 3 - Lockwood doubled, drove in a run & K’ed
Graham Stoneburner: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 HB, 7-4 GB/FB – 137-34 K/BB ratio in 142 IP
Phil Bartlewski: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 2-4 GB/FB
Ronny Marte: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1-1 GB/FB

Low-A Charleston (7-2 loss to Greenville)
Slade Heathcott, CF: 1 for 4, 1 RBI, 1 K - his buddy J.R. Murphy didn’t play in this one after leaving yesterday’s game for an unknown reason
Ramon Flores, RF: 0 for 3, 1 BB, 1 K
Luke Murton, 1B: 2 for 3, 1 RBI
Rob Lyerly, 3B: 1 for 4, 2 K, 1 E (throwing)
Taylor Grote, DH, Neil Medchill, LF & Hector Rabago, C: all 0 for 4 – Grote K’ed three times, Medchill & Rabago twice each … Rabago also committed a throwing error plus another on a pickoff play, though he did manage to pick a runner off second with a snap throw
Emerson Landoni, 2B: 1 for 3, 1 BB
Kelvin Castro, SS: 1 for 3, 2 R, 1 3B, 1 BB, 1 K
Shane Greene: 2 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 1 HB, 0-2 GB/FB
Jairo Heredia: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 3-1 GB/FB
Ben Watkins: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 5-2 GB/FB
Francisco Gil: 1 IP, zeroes, 1 K, 0-2 GB/FB

Short Season Staten Island (1-0 win over Hudson Valley)
Shane Brown, 1B: 0 for 4
Cito Culver, SS: 0 for 0, 1 HBP – left the game after getting hit by a pitch … not sure where it got him, but he didn’t leave right away, he stayed in for another inning and a half or so
Jose Mojica, SS & Kelvin DeLeon, RF: both 0 for 2
Rob Segedin, 3B: 2 for 3, 1 2B – six for his last 18 with a homer, two doubles, two walks, and zero strikeouts
Kyle Roller, DH, Casey Stevenson, 2B & Mike Ferraro, LF: all 0 for 3 – DeLeon struck out & got hit by a pitch
Gary Sanchez, C: 1 for 3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K – that’s his eighth homer of the year, a pretty remarkable number for a 17-year-old playing his first professional season
Kelvin Duran, CF: 1 for 3, 2 K, 1 CS
Rich Martinez: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 1 WP, 3-5 GB/FB
Andy Shive: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HB, 1-1 GB/FB
Tommy Kahnle: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1-1 GB/FB – three hits, four walks, and 23 strikeouts in 14 IP

The Rookie GCL Yanks season is over. They did not qualify for the postseason.

mikebk

any chance kahnle gets pushed to tampa for the playoffs once the SI season ends?
http://twitter.com/stophamm3rtime Dela G

montero is on FIYA
- Esteban
  
  Lloyd Banks’d
  - Thomas Tu
    
    Lol @ “Lloyd Banks’d”
  - http://twitter.com/stophamm3rtime Dela G
    
    haha i love that song
    
    +1
    
    IETCVM
    - Camilo Gerardo
      
      lupe – streets on fire
mikebk

so Jesus had really started the blaze after he got pissed he was almost dealt, how hot is he going to get at being snubbed for a callup?
- Chris
  
  He started hitting about 2 weeks before the deal.
  
  But never mind that, the narrative is much better if we just ignore those 2 weeks.
  - http://twitter.com/SteeeeveO Steve O.
    
    Anybody who knows anything about baseball would know he was obviously infuriated by the thought of being traded to the Mariners and took his anger out on the ball.
http://www.puristbleedspinstripes.com Rebecca-Optimist Prime-Jesus & Maquinito FTW

Didn’t Jesus have like just six homers his first season?

Anyway, when Jesus and Baby Jesus have home runs, I am a happy girl.
- Chris
  
  In 107AB in the GCL Jesus had 3 HR. Sanchez had 6 in 119 AB in the GCL.
  - http://www.puristbleedspinstripes.com Rebecca-Optimist Prime-Jesus & Maquinito FTW
    
    Dayum
    - Thomas Tu
      
      So if Montero projects to be Frank Thomas…then Gary Sanchez will be twice as good as Frank Thomas?
      
      Hollllaaaa
      - Gonzo
        
        FWIW, on a chat, (don’t remember if it was Callis or KLaw), he said Sanchez doesn’t have Montero’s ceiling. I don’t care if he can stick at catcher though.
        
        A.D.
        
        Did they provide a particular reason why?
        
        sleepykarl
        
        No one projects his bat to be as good as Montero’s.
        
        larryf
        
        Montero’s taller?
Reggie C.

Note to KLAW.

Gary Sanchez better end up within FIVE spots of Miguel Sano. Sano’s playing 3B these days, though i’m not sure if that’s the plan for Sano next year. Sano may yet be tried out at SS, and i guess that’d be reason enough to rank him alittle higher. As solid as Sano has performed in the GCL, Sanchez was easily the best hitter in that league.
- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bring-Melvin-To-America/193013541601?ref=sgm Andy In Sunny Daytona
  
  Sano is getting to big to play short…..but he’s still going to be a monster.
  
  Sano…………so sad.
  Chapman………so sad.
  
  “They only cost money”
- Gonzo
  
  The only way I can see Sano rated higher is if KLaw/BA have little faith in his defense. Sano may stick at 3rd. They might think Sanchez has less of a probability of sticking at catcher, and I can see that.
Yankee Magic

According to the Tampa Yankees Vendettie has been promoted to AA.
- Johan Iz My Brohan
  
  Old news, bro.
felixpanther

any info about Richard Martinez, prospect?
- IRememberCelerinoSanchez
  
  Look above, in the SI results.
  - Horace Clarke
    
    I thought Celerino Sanchez was the second coming of Brooks Robinson…then again I also got in a fistfight arguing that Horace Clarke was better than Ken Boswell.
http://www.puristbleedspinstripes.com Rebecca-Optimist Prime-Jesus & Maquinito FTW

So if Brackman, Betances and Banuelos are the Killer B’s, can Montero, Romine and Sanchez be the Killer C’s?
- rbizzler
  
  Not bad. Romine needs to step up his offensive game to stick in that crew though.
  - http://www.retire21.org Mike R.- Retire 21
    
    Montero and Sanchez need to step up their defense to hang with Romine.
    
    /Other side of the coin’d
    - rbizzler
      
      Except for the fact that scouting reports on Romine’s D have not exactly been glowing.
      
      The big difference being that most scouts think he will stick behind the plate.
    - Samuel
      
      Romine’s defense not all that it is cracked up to be.
      
      Smart and works well with the pitchers, but drops too many pitches and his blocking skills are inconsistent.
      
      His footwork needs to improve in order to throw out more than 22% of the runners at Double A.
      
      Hell, Montero threw out 32% of Double A runners last year. And he has thrown out 23% of the Triple A runners this year.
      
      Montero threw out 25% of the runners at Charleston in 2008, when both he and Romine were there. Romine threw out only 20% at Charleston.
      
      There are more thingks that throwing out runners, but Romine’s defense is not yet top quality and his is sometimes overmatched as a hitter in Double A.
      - Rick in Boston
        
        I’m not sure using CS% is the best way to judge catchers. Pudge Rodriguez had a very high CS% in his prime, but that’s because he called fastballs to improve his chances. The Yankee organization, on the other hand, seems to have their pitchers pay little attention to the runner at first, allowing them to get great jumps. If a runner at first can get a great jump, a catcher is going to have trouble throwing anyone out.
        
        Steve in PDX
        
        Also not useful if more people run on Montero than on Romine.
        
        Samuel
        
        Of course, it is not. There are other parts of Romine’s defensive game that I don’t like either, and I shared those above.
        
        I have seen Romine play for three years now, and he has not advanced his defensive game at the higher levels. He still is assumed to be a good defensive catcher, but I believe msot of those positive thoughts have come because he was always on the same team as Montero and looked better than Jesus behind the plate.
        
        Since this is Austin’s first full year as a catcher, he can get a small pass, but I would like to see him work extensively on his defense during the AFL and winter.
        
        Because his bat will not keep him in the majors. I would take the Mopntero great bat, bad defense over the Romine decent bat, slightly better defense anyday in the majors.
        
        Many Yankee Yankee pitchers at the High A level need to work on their pickoff moves. Guys like Banuelos and Betances have terrible moves. But it is definitely not the Yankee mantra to allow baserunners to willingly get great jumps and steal tons of bases.
        
        Many of these pitchers have never had tons of baserunners during thier amateur careers. Most never really developed strong pickoff moves because they didn’t need one.
- Stuckey
  
  Problem is, what’s a “Killer C”?
  - http://www.puristbleedspinstripes.com Rebecca-Optimist Prime-Jesus & Maquinito FTW
    
    Catcher
  - Stuckey
    
    But the Killer B’s is a take off of Killer BEES.
  - Cecala
    
    Cocaine is a hell of a drug
- ultimate913
  
  Just avoid saying that in public. That could get you in some trouble.
  - http://www.puristbleedspinstripes.com Rebecca-Optimist Prime-Jesus & Maquinito FTW
    
    ? I don’t get it. I is slow.
    - ultimate913
      
      Some people take it as a joke but that is gang related.
      
      On topic though. I agree with the person above me. Romine has to have a better bat while Montero and Sanchez have to step their defensive game up for those 3 to be together.
      - Emac2
        
        Yeah – We don’t want anyone thinking Rebecca is a gang banger in real life when they hear her talking at the stadium.
        
        Good advice
- Esteban
  
  Triple C’s
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSZlXD-8mm8
pat

Sanchez is going to obliterate Sally pitching next year. If he spends the whole year there I’d say he easily hits 17+ homers.
- http://soxandpinstripes.net Angelo
  
  That’s a bit optmistic. I’m not going to assume anything until it happens. Montero hit 17 homeruns in his first full season, but Sanchez’s bat doesn’t project to be Montero like.
  - pat
    
    I was going to say 70, but then decided to be pessimistic.
Brian in NH

Lot of talk about Montero and Sanchez here, but Brackman had a decent game as well. I just checked his page on FanGraphs and i like what I see. His ERA is a respectable 3.21 through 14 starts in Trenton and his peripherals are all moving in the right direction. He may only be 4-7 but his FIP seems to be inline with what his ERA is showing (fangraphs doesn’t include last nights game yet), so its not a fluke of great defense behind him or anything.
- JD
  
  Excellent point. Brackman has an ERA of aroun 1.30 in 30 innings since August 1. He clearly is an MLB pitcher now.
ColoYank

Tommy Kahnle: 0.50 WHIP and 14.79 K/9??

Uh, that boy needs to be level higher.
- http://soxandpinstripes.net Angelo
  
  Definitely, but the Yankees will probably leave him there until next season. He might even begin at High-A next year. Still wouldn’t shock me.
Dave M

What happened to Heredia? I know he was injured, but don’t recall what the injury was.
http://riveraveblues.com Michael Cutler

Andrew Brackman is terrible why do you all get so excited about him is it because hes 6 foot 9? hes terrible