Shelley Duncan and Austin Romine were named the Topps Minor League Players of the Year for the Triple-A International League and the High-A Florida State League, respectively.

Tom Krasovic has a cool little piece on Damon Oppenheimer, so make sure you check it out. It’s pretty amazing to see how many former Padres’ scouts are holding down major front office jobs around the game, D-Opp included.

AzFL Surprise (10-5 win over Scottsdale on Wednesday)
Brandon Laird: 2 for 5, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Mike Dunn: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 Balk – 11 of 16 pitches were strikes (68.8%) … PitchFX had him at 94.01-94.6 with the fastball, so talk about consistency

AzFL Surprise (8-7 loss to Scottsdale on Thursday)
Brandon Laird: 3 for 4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 K – 7 for his last 12 (.583) with two doubles and two jacks
Ian Kennedy: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 6-7 GB/FB – 46 of 76 pitches were strikes (60.5%)

Greg Fertel at Pending Pinstripes sat down for a chat with 2009 4th round pick Adam Warren. It’s pretty funny to see that Warren doesn’t even know where his velocity spike came from last year. Give it a read, it’s well worth your time.

Mike Dunn was the only Yankee farmhand that will participate in the AzFL Rising Stars Showcase. It’s basically the All Star Game.

Here’s two days worth of updates:

AzFL Surprise (10-2 loss to Phoenix on Monday)
Brandon Laird: 2 for 4, 1 R, 1 2B – breaks out of an 0 for 14 slump

AzFL Surprise (6-5 win over Phoenix in 11 innings on Tuesday)
Zach Kroenke: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 3-1 GB/FB – 13 of 23 pitches were strikes (56.5%)
Grant Duff: 1 IP, zeroes, 0-3 GB/FB – 7 of 12 pitches were strikes (58.3%)

The Arizona Fall League is off on Sundays, but I never updated yesterday’s game, so here it is:

AzFL Surprise (12-5 loss to Peoria Javelinas on Saturday)
Brandon Laird: 0 for 4, 1 BB, 2 K – 0 for his last 14 and 2 for his last 19
Zach Kroenke: 2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 HB, 2-0 GB/FB – 23 of 37 pitches were strikes (62.2%) … PitchFX had him at 91.16-92.8 with the fastball

The Yankees are donating money to the Joe Niekro Foundation for every strikeout their pitchers record in the AzFL, so that’s cool. Here’s your weekly winter ball update:

Dominican Winter League
Abe Almonte: 4 G, 0 for 3, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 SB, 0 CS
Wilkins Arias: 6 G, 5.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1.33 GB/FB
Ivan Nova: 3 G, 2 GS, 11 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 2.38 GB/FB
Jon Ortiz: 4 G, 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1.00 GB/FB
Joe Valdez: 7 G, 8 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 0.67 GB/FB - nice job so far, but it probably won’t get him a 40-man spot
Josue Calzado: 1 H, 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 0.00 GB/FB – hasn’t appeared in a game in over two weeks

Noel Castillo, Gabriel Tatis, Jairo Heredia, Hector Noesi, Juan Miranda, and Eduardo Nunez are all listed on various DWL rosters, but haven’t appeared in a game yet.

Mexican Pacific League
Walt Ibarra: 11 H, 7 for 16 (.438), 7 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 SB, 0 CS
Humberto Sanchez: 3 G, 3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 1.25 GB/FB - eek

Danny Gil is on Ibarra’s team, but he hasn’t pitched in a game yet.

Venezuelan Winter League
Jesus Montero: 8 G, 3 for 23 (.130), 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K, 0 SB, 0 CS – panic!
Reegie Corona: 11 G, 8 for 25 (.320), 5 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K, 0 SB, 0 CS
Marcos Vechionacci: 7 G, 6 for 15 (.400), 2 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 0 SB, 0 CS
Luis Nunez: 9 G, 8 for 31 (.258), 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 SB, 0 CS
Edwar Gonzalez: 15 G, 12 for 46 (.261), 6 R, 0 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 BB, 10 K, 3 SB, 1 CS
Josh Schmidt: 5 G, 4 GS, 17.1 IP, 16 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 6 BB, 15 K, 1.57 GB/FB – he’s kinda in the same boat as Valdez
Pat Venditte: 5 G, 5.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1.80 GB/FB
Romulo Sanchez: 7 G, 6.1 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 6 ER, 6 BB, 8 K

Juan Marcano, Jose Gil, Emerson Landoni, and Eduardo Sosa are all listed on various rosters, but haven’t gotten into a game yet.

The Puerto Rican Winter League season starts on November 12th, and the rosters haven’t been posted yet.

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been slacking off lately because of the World Series. Here’s three days worth of games. Well, two and a half.

AzFL Surprise (9-0 loss to Peoria Saguaros on Wednesday)
Colin Curtis: 1 for 4, 1 K
Brandon Laird: 0 for 3, 1 BB, 2 K
Zach Kroenke: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1-0 GB/FB - 16 of 28 pitches were strikes (57.1%) … PitchFX had him at 88.85-90.2 with his fastball
Mike Dunn: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1-1 GB/FB – just 13 of 27 pitches were strikes (48.2%) … PFX had him at 94.41-95.3 with the heat

AzFL Surprise (3-0 win over Scottsdale on Thursday)
Colin Curtis: 1 for 4, 1 2B
Brandon Laird: 0 for 4, 1 K – 0 for his last 10 and 2 for his last 15

AzFL Surprise (the game is tied at five in the ninth, and I don’t feel like waiting around … here’s the box score)
Ian Kennedy: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 Er, 0 BB, 4 K, 4-4 GB/FB – 43 of 69 pitches were strikes (62.3%) … PFX says he was sitting between 90.98-93.4, and hit the high end of that range near the end of his outing
Grant Duff: 0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K – just 11 of 23 pitches were strikes (47.8%) … PFX had him at 93.13-94.3
Mike Dunn: 1 IP, zeroes, 2 K, 1-0 GB/FB – 11 of 14 pitches were strikes (78.6%) … he came in and bailed Duff out in a big way … PFX had him at 92.98-93.7

The Yanks pulled Austin Romine from the Arizona Fall League after he sustained a minor injury. They opted not to send someone to replace him, so the Rangers sent Taylor Teagarden.

AzFL Surprise (2-1 loss to Peoria Javelinas on Monday) three runs total in an AzFL game? wtf?
Colin Curtis: 3 for 5, 1 K – OPS’ing over 1.200
Brandon Laird: 1 for 2, 1 BB, 1 HBP
Grant Duff: 1 IP, zeroes, 1 K, 1-1 GB/FB – 6 of 11 pitches were strikes (54.5%)

AzFL Surprise (7-6 loss to Phoenix on Tuesday)
Brandon Laird: 0 for 3, 2 BB, 1 K

The Arizona Fall League was off today, so let’s recap what’s going on in Latin America…

Dominican Winter League
Abe Almonte: 2 G, no plate appearances
Wilkins Arias: 4 G, 4 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1.50 GB/FB
Ivan Nova: 2 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 5.50 GB/FB – just a few more weeks and he’ll be on the 40-man roster
Jon Ortiz: 3 G, 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 1.00 GB/FB
Jose Valdez: 4 G, 5 IP, zeroes, 5 K, 1.00 GB/FB
Josue Calzado: 1 G, 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 0.00 GB/FB

Noel Castillo, Gabriel Tatis, Jairo Heredia, Hector Noesi, Juan Miranda, and Eduardo Nunez are all listed on various DWL rosters, bt have not yet appeared in a game.

Mexican Pacific League
Walt Ibarra: 8 G, 5 for 8 (.625), 6 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 SB, 1 CS
Humberto Sanchez: 1 G, 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 2.00 GB/FB

Danny Gil is on the same team as Ibarra, however he hasn’t played yet.

Venezuelan Winter League
Luis Nunez: 9 G, 8 for 31 (.258), 0 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 SB, 0 CS
Edwar Gonzalez: 12 G, 9 for 36 (.250), 5 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K, 2 SB, 1 CS
Jesus Montero: 7 G, 3 for 22 (.136), 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, 0 SB, 0 CS - ZOMG teh bust
Reegie Corona: 10 G, 7 for 21 (.333), 5 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 0 SB, 0 CS
Marcos Vechionacci: 5 G, 4 for 9 (.444), 2 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 0 SB, 0 CS
Josh Schmidt: 3 GS, 13.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 12 K, 2.11 GB/FB – he was great with Double-A Trenton, but I don’t think the Yanks will give him a 40-man spot this offseason … he could be some Rule 5 Draft fodder
Pat Venditte: 4 G, 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1.75 GB/FB
Romulo Sanchez: 6 G, 4 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 6 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 1.00 GB/FB – I think he got traded in the VWL, because he’s played for two teams … he’s still Yanks’ property, though

Juan Marcano, Jose Gil, Emerson Landoni, and Eduardo Sosa are all in the league, but haven’t gotten into a game yet.

The Puerto Rican League season doesn’t start until mid-November, so the rosters aren’t out yet.

AzFL Surprise (4-3 loss to Surprise in 10 innings) Austin Romine hasn’t played in a few days, so he’s probably hurt
Brandon Laird: 1 for 3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K – three homers in his first 37 at-bats in the desert … it took him 217 at-bats with High-A Tampa to hit three homers
Ian Kennedy: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1-6 GB/FB – 36 of 63 pitches were strikes (57.1%) … PitchFX had him at 90.56-92.1 with the fastball, and says he threw a ton of changeups (11 total)
Zach Kroenke: 1 IP, zeroes, 2-1 GB/FB – 10 of 11 pitches were strikes (91%) … PFX had him at 90.58-91.4
Mike Dunn: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 0-1 GB/FB – 11 of 14 pitches were strikes (78.6%) … served up a solo jack to a 2008 first rounder in the top of the 10th FTL … PFX had him at 94.06-94.8

The Arizona Fall League is on Twitter.

AzFL Surprise (15-12 win over Phoenix) you gotta love scores like that
Brandon Laird: 3 for 5, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 K – hitting .412-.412-.676, and he’s only 18th in the league in OPS
Colin Curtis: 3 for 4, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB – at .389-.476-.695, he’s 11th in the league in OPS
Grant Duff: 1 IP, zeroes, 0-3 GB/FB - just 6 of 11 pitches were strikes (54.5%)

Don’t miss our ALCS Game Five recap.

AzFL Surprise (3-2 win over Peoria Saguaros, walk-off style)
Colin Curtis: 0 for 2, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 SB
Mike Dunn: 1 IP, zeroes, 2 K, 0-1 GB/FB – all 10 pitches were strikes, a pleasant change for him … PitchFX says he was 94.61-96.6 with every pitch

Still no Puerto Rican League rosters.