The June MLB Draft is not at the forefront of Brian Ward's mind. Not yet.
There's a game to be won. A championship within reach. The Huskies (31-26) need to win 1-2 on Saturday, to advance Sunday and play again.
Considered Big East underdogs, they've answered their doubters. In a stunning upset Thursday in round one of the Big East Tournament, the number-eight seed Huskies beat top-seed Louisville with a 3-2 walk-off win in the 12th inning.
Ward, a Milford Connecticut native, had excelled on an individual level, until mono sidelined him. He hasn't pitched in three weeks and won't pitch Saturday, but he did plenty to help get the Huskies where they stand today.
In March, the 6-3 junior lefty helped the team get it's fifth straight win, improving his record to 6-3. He pitched six innings of four-hit baseball, until the seventh when when allowed 2 runs on 3 hits. He also struck out five batters. It was his seventh start of the season.
Now he's staring down the biggest moment of the season with his teammates, including lauded captain Billy Ferriter and LJ Mazzilli, who've been offensive powerhouses.
June is for June.
"I'm definitely not thinking about that right now," Ward said Friday. "Us winning tomorrow, and winning the championship, is all that's on my mind."
His focus the past few weeks has been just feeling better. His health took an unexpected turn, but, he said he's feeling a lot stronger now. He was feeling that way coming into the season. He'd put maximum effort into improving his overall approach.
"My work ethic [improved]. Last year, I had arm trouble, so I couldn't work as much, and as hard as possible. Last summer and fall, I really got my mind and body prepared for the season."
The trouble (dead arm) hit him hard last year, but he still managed impressive results. He finished the season 3-5 with a 5.57 ERA, striking out forty one hitters in fifty one innings. In his Big East Championship performance, he allowed just one run in six innings of work.
He'd also just come off of time spent playing summer ball in 2011, in Cape Cod League, with the Bourne Braves. The summer league experience is famous for how it awes and humbles players, as it also challenges them.
"You're just facing a great lineup, one through nine, everyday. It's the top hitters in the country. There are no weak hitters. You're also seeing the best pitchers. You learn a lot, and gain experience facing that overall talent level."
He's decided to play again this summer, and will return with the Bourne Braves.
Ok, so, the championship is the thing right now. But the MLB Draft can't be out of his thoughts completely, right?
"It's in the back of your mind. But once you get to the field, you don't think about it."
This year's draft is rich with high school and college pitching. The first few slots are almost positively pitchers. Ward has had his obstacles, but this season, same as last, he's shown tremendous potential (this time last year, he struck out a season high seven hitters in one game). He throws a fastball-changeup combo, with his fastball in the mid to upper 80's. He also shows a breaking ball, but says he doesn't use it often.
Ultimately, his focus is even more refined, even beyond the Draft. He knows what he wants to do next year.
"I want to graduate, no matter what. Whether I sign or don't, I'm going to graduate and that's my goal."
The fire from Kevin Pillar's hot bat? The fire from his Fisher Cats hitting coach and manager when speaking of the highly regarded player? Or the fire that comes from Pillar himself. All spark, and toughness, and emotion, mixed with the laser-focus of a purist. He leads by example, both at the plate and in the outfield.
"He is the best player in the league," said New Hampshire hitting coach Richie Hebner. "He does everything well."
By everything, he means hitting, power, defense, and base running. Getting timely hits. Working a hitter's count. Getting a hit with two strikes on him. Making the most of every situation.
Speaking of which. Pillar's also a romantic, mixed with a realist. In an interview posted on the Fisher Cats website, he said he'd promised his fiancee Amanda they'll get married after he's made it to the big leagues.
He's on the right track. After 40 games, the right fielder is hitting .326 with 56 hits (Eastern League best), 11 of them doubles, and 4 home runs. He's also drawn ten walks, something Fisher Cats manager Gary Allenson said he needs to do more often. That was the only negative manager or hitting coach could come up with. To add to the other positives, his mentality, generosity, and kindness were also mentioned.
It's all part of the West Hills California native's approach, which Pillar says is something he's conscious of, and was even more aware of when preparing for 2013.
"A lot of what I worked on in the off-season, I carried into spring training. And that was my overall mindset," he said. "It's about looking beyond here, looking beyond the numbers. I strive here and I'll strive beyond here. I'll never be satisfied."
That attitude is perhaps a response to being overlooked and underestimated.
Pillar was drafted low (32nd round) out of Division II Call State-Dominguez Hills, and was on the smaller side (listed 6-0, 195 LBS when selected), but he was an excellent player in high school, hitting .463 his senior year for Chaminade College Prep. Scouts however, had to decide whether to take a chance on him. Did he have the ability to be an impact player in the major leagues? Can that talent translate to skill at the highest level of the game?
2012 was a successful campaign with some issues mixed in. He's done a better job this year of not striking out as often. In ten games, he's done so just four times, and seventeen times overall this season. He finished 2012 with an arm-load of honors, including MiLB.com Organizational All-Star, and hit .374 in a career-high 128 games.
The numbers are not the thing that Pillar sets goals for. Stats are for statisticians. His game, as a purist, is being important to the team.
"I want to be the guy the coach runs out there everyday and feels confident that I'm going to compete," said Pillar.
That's what lights the fire that's motivated him, and nothing's changed.
Except that, now, he's got a promise of matrimony to motivate him as well.
It's rare that I go personal here, because that's not what this blog is. But with the hyper-interest of female sports reporters in the locker room lately, due to some comments by hockey broadcaster Don Cherry, I thought I'd address things from a personal point of view.
Because a lot of what I read in response to Cherry's comments, reminded me that people still aren't entirely clear what this job entails.
That doesn't mean I'm sugar-coating, but let's all calm down about what we see and experience in there.
A baseball clubhouse isn't the Mickey Mouse Club. But it's also not equivalent to a nudist colony, where men walk around casually, pursuing the sports reporter ladies, or often, lady, leering and scaring the little gal.
It's also not an eye feast, where we, as women doing our job, are seduced and reduced to ecstasy. If you think that's what we feel or think, you haven't been in there. And you don't know anything. And you're sexist.
I can't speak for what a football or hockey locker room are like (or, in Cherry's case in Canadian speak, the dressing room). I assume it's very similar. But I can only tell you what a baseball clubhouse is like, and mostly in the minors. My life in the majors accounts for less than half of my yearly experience, on a freelance basis, maybe ten assignments per season. Sometimes less.
So here's what it's like: You wait. And wait. And wait. It's like a doctor's office. You wait, then go inside, and wait some more.
You stand outside a door, in a damp hallway, listening (usually) to rap blasting behind the doors. Employees are milling around with food carts, and paperwork, and walkie-talkies. Players are entering and exiting on their phones. They've finished batting practice. Now they relax. And we wait for the allotted time to start, about 45 minutes, to talk to players and coaches. Meeting with the manager is about fifteen minutes.
When we go in, we find the player. Often he's sitting on the sofa, watching television. Or he's by his locker, listening to music. Or, sometimes, he's hiding from us. We talk to the player by the locker or in the hall.
We then leave.
After the game, they get a cooling period. We go in. Many players are still showering. Many are dressed and eating. Or sitting by their lockers. Or back on the sofa. We ask to talk to a player. We then leave.
See anything exciting yet? Boring as hell isn't it? Sorry. You just read my workday in the clubhouse, and every other reporters' typical day, getting pre-and-post game interviews.
Now, for the part most sports fans seem fascinated with.
Do we see players in the nude? From time to time, yes. We see them walk by or they're at their locker, and, well, we're aware that someone isn't dressed. But we look away, mind our business, and all is fine. They dress quickly and get ready to talk to us or head out the door.
Yes, there have been weird moments. Some guys will walk around naked like it's no big deal. Avoiding looking at them is all we can do. There's the usual moments of seeing a flash of nudity, and yet there is discretion. We respect each other. It's uncomfortable. And everyone tries to be comfortable under the circumstances. Some guys don't mind being interviewed in a towel. Most reporters, myself included, aren't fazed by that.
Ok, let's go a little further. There have been really bad moments. Get a roundtable of female sports reporters. You'll hear some stories.
Making my personal worst list: a major league player waiting until I turned, dropping his towel, and laughing in my face; the minor league player talking to his teammate about wanting to bend me over and using the f word to describe what he wanted to do. As I stood there, pretending it didn't bother me; finally, there was the player questioning my presence, then telling everyone to get naked so I could do my job (Confession: I got a lump in my throat typing those words. That hurt and humiliated me.)
Those incidents are the absolute worst of eight years in baseball. There have been minor incidents, moments that players have done things that were unacceptable or immature, and many more moments where there was laughter, teasing, or remarks that I just ignored. Nothing extremely upsetting like those others.
In the minors, very often, I've not only been the only woman in the clubhouse, but the only reporter. I'm not intimidated, I'm not bothered. I get the work done and go.
In other words, it's mostly just a job, where professional players talk to professional reporters, and we all go home.
It's an atmosphere that is part lighthearted and fun, part business and getting what needs to be done for the very reason we are all there: a game. We are all focused. We are all worried about our deadline, or daily goal, our daily pageviews, our blog posts, or one column, or both, that have to be done that night or the following morning.
We have editors that want the story NOW. Or we have ourselves to answer to, and hope readers like what we have to say or share. We all want to do something informative and interesting, and we Must. Be. Accurate.
Those are our worries and thoughts when we walk into the clubhouse, locker room, dressing room, wherever it is that we're reporting from. Male or female.
Don Cherry put the spotlight on an issue that is way past it's expiration date. It's not current or sensible. But, truthfully, sports fans, and many in sports, still hold the view that the locker room is no place for a female reporter. That view isn't tolerated in sports, for the most part anyway. But it's there. And it's not our problem. It's yours.
You can think the locker room/clubhouse/dressing room is a nude-fest with female sports reporters being treated like Playboy bunnies, or abused daily, and that we're in there falling apart over all the nudity that supposedly surrounds us.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qinZSr-RqY4 Courtesy of Matt Kardos
The Portland Sea Dogs visited the Trenton Thunder on Friday night at Arm & Hammer Park sporting the best record overall in the Eastern League at 11-8. Looking to extend their 0.5 game lead over the Thunder, Portland summoned the Red Sox top pitching prospect, Matt Barnes to the mound which allowed to me to see the stud prospect up close for the first time.
The tall 22-year old righty has great projectable size for a pitcher, standing at 6’4” and is equipped with a heavy mid-90’s fastball, a sharp high 70’s curveball and a mid-80’s change-up in his repertoire. His fastball is regarded as his best pitch as Baseball America ranks his heater as the best in the Red Sox system.
Barnes got his feet wet with his first pro action in 2012 with Single-A Greenville after being selected as the 19th overall pick by Boston in the 2011 amateur draft out of the University of Connecticut. Through five starts there, Barnes absolutely dominated the South Atlantic League, going 2-0 with a minuscule 0.34 ERA while striking out 42 batters in just 26 innings pitched.
After overmatching the opposition, Boston promoted Barnes to Advanced-A Salem of the Carolina League where he continued to show flashes of brilliance. Overall, Barnes made 25 starts in his inaugural professional season, going a combined 7-5 with a 2.86 ERA with 133 strikeouts in 119.2 innings of action. He led the organization in ERA, strikeouts and batting average against (.225).
With lofty expectations staring him down as the 38th overall prospect in baseball as ranked by MiLB.com entering this season, Barnes has struggled in his first taste of the minor leagues upper levels. In three starts with Portland going into last night, Barnes had gone 1-0 with a 7.71 ERA while opponents were hitting .333 against him.
“His curve ball needs a lot of work,” said one AL East scout who was in attendance to watch Barnes on Friday night. “In the lower levels you can get by with throwing smoke past these guys, but up here you have to really develop your secondary pitches and so far he has had a tough time of getting that to work.”
Barnes woes continued in Trenton on Friday as he took the loss in a 6-3 Thunder victory. The biggest issue for Barnes continues to be his batting average against. Last night, Trenton went 11-25 against him with six extra base hits, while two others reached base via walks. Through four starts now, Barnes has allowed 24 hits in 14 innings pitched while walking six more which has caused his WHIP to soar to an uncharacteristic 2.14. The Eastern League is now hitting .387 off of him.
Barnes has very long and strong legs which he uses a lot on his effortless looking delivery. He throws his fastball free and easy and it is certainly an electrifying pitch; you can hear the catcher’s glove pop almost every time he offers it. Despite giving up a lot of hits, Barnes still has overpowering stuff which is reflected in his high strikeout totals. Of the 83 pitches he threw last night, he got Trenton to swing and miss at them 16 times. The stuff seems to be there but the command comes and goes. He left the fastball up in the strike zone a lot which caused the pitch to flatten out a lot and the Thunder hitters took advantage of that.
“He really struggles to stay on top of his curveball; it isn’t a bad pitch he just doesn’t control it consistently at this stage” said the scout. “I think that his change-up has come a long way since last season, he does a great job of varying speeds from his fastball to get to the change.”
Two of the six strikeouts that Barnes recorded against Trenton came via the scorching hot Kyle Roller (pictured in the video), who is the reigning Eastern League Player of the Week.
“He has a lively fastball that kind of gets on you really quick,” Roller said. “He didn’t show me the breaking ball until late so he kind of threw me off guard, I wasn’t expecting it. From what I saw of him though, you can tell he’s a plus pitcher. He goes soft away early then he tries to bust you inside hard later in the count.”
The scout added, “I think his struggles right now are very normal for a pitcher at this level. The stuff is crisp but his command is what is hurting him right now, but that comes with experience and making adjustments as you go. I don’t know if he will ever be an “ace” but I think he definitely has the ceiling to be a good two or three starter if he irons out his command and executes consistency with his breaking ball.”
Matt is a contributing writer for Double G Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @mattkardos
Before getting into Brandon Nimmo's performance against Lakewood, let me preface by saying he went 4-for-4, with a triple and a walk in the game I didn't see. I heard the triple was a nice line drive the other way off the left-center field wall. It's also important to note that Nimmo is hitting .414 on the year.
But in the games I saw, he wasn't overly impressive. He has the looks of a toolsy player, showing good speed on the bases, excellent range in the outfield and for the most part, he was patient at the plate.
Nimmo went 1-for-10 in the three games I watched, walking four times and striking out four times. The one hit was a well-struck line drive triple into the right-center field gap. The five outs that weren't strikeouts, were not hit hard. One left the infield, a lazy fly ball to left field. The other four were soft ground balls, one to the pitcher.
With four ground balls and four walks, plus the triple, I saw Nimmo run a few times. If you see his stats, three career steals (including one on Sunday) in nine attempts, you would assume he wasn't fast, but he certainly showed good speed in this series. He seems to be slightly above average, and the stolen base rate and lack of steals overall, can be explained by the lack of experience he has coming from Wyoming and out of high school just two years ago. I would expect the stolen bases to increase as he progresses. [Ed. Note: Nimmo also lost weight this off-season to improve his footwork in the outfield, and his speed on the basepath]
In the outfield, he made plays in each direction and showed good range. He made a spectacular diving catch on a sinking liner hit at him. It was the best defensive play of the series between both teams. He also got back quickly on a deep fly ball directly over his head. Nimmo ran down some hits that looked liked they could roll to the wall, but he cut them off and held the runners to singles or doubles, when they looked destined to be doubles or triples. His arm might be a problem for him. On a grounder up the middle with a man on second, he charged the ball and made an off-target throw that was not strong and didn't reach the catcher, who stopped it slightly up the third base line. He also made a throw to second that also wasn't strong or accurate. On another chance to throw home, with a slow runner going home from second base on a soft liner hit to Nimmo's right, he caught then ball on one hop and didn't attempt a throw.
Overall, the hitting I saw left something to be desired. He had plenty of swing and misses and soft contact, but he has been great the rest of the season. He should be a good hitter, who eventually adds some power as he fills out and also gains experience. The tools are there, he has some plate patience, the ability to drive the ball and the speed to beat out some hits. His running and overall defense won't hurt either. You can see the makings of a decent prospect, who just needs time to develop. Nimmo just turned 20-years-old this March, so youth is on his side.
Larry Greene Jr
On Thursday night, Larry Greene Jr made his debut in full-season ball. The 39th overall pick in the 2011 draft, he played last season in the New York Penn League for Williamsport. Greene hit .272 in 70 games, with 22 doubles, two homers and a .754 OPS. Including his four games with Lakewood, the 20-year-old from Nashville, Ga has played every single game of his pro career in left field.
Greene has had conditioning problems throughout his career and it could be something he is continuously battling. He is listed at 6'0" 235 pounds, though he looks a tad bit heavier, with a very stocky build. Greene went 2-for-14 in the four game series against Savannah, walking three times and striking out in seven of those AB's. In the one game I didn't see, he walked twice and struck out twice.
Greene has the swing of a pull hitter from the left side. It looked like he tried to pull everything and every swing he took was big. The problem was that every swing he took was late. He didn't pull one ball in any of the three games, not even a foul ball. His two hits were both opposite field, but as I mentioned, that was unintentional, so there was a bit of luck on his part with each of his hits. I mentioned to colleagues that his swing is reminiscent of Prince Fielder, and two of them agreed. In batting practice he crushed a long homer, but once the game sped up, he was behind. He showed some patience at the plate, working the count, though some of that could be explained by a lot of swing and misses, or balls fouled into the third base side stands.
His running is what you would expect from a big man. Greene is limited to corner outfield, or possibly first base in the future and it is doubtful he will ever be more than average in the outfield, so his bat must carry him. He had some trouble with a line drive that landed right in front of him, which drew some boos from the crowd, who thought he should have caught it. The couple throws he made seemed accurate, but average at best. He tried two steals in the series and was caught both times, the first time rather easy. The second time, on a hard pitch to handle and a left-handed batter to throw over, Kevin Plawecki was still able to throw him out.
It was a disappointing debut from Greene, who gets a bit of a pass due to it being his first series of the season. He needs to increase his bat speed, or any hard thrower will eat him alive.
Roman Quinn
This wasn't the first time I've seen Quinn play this year, so I have a little better idea on him than the others. I really like the way the 20-year-old shortstop plays. He was the 2nd round pick of the Phillies in the same draft they took Greene, but the 5'10" Quinn is definitely ahead of his teammate.
The good points with Quinn are numerous and they're the skills Phillies fans can dream on. He isn't a perfect player, not someone who will skip any levels on his way to Philadelphia, but if he continues to improve, he'll be worth the wait.
Quinn's best assets are his two plus tool, his speed and his arm. In a prior game, he hit an inside-the-park homer, and didn't draw a throw from the cutoff man because Quinn had already crossed the plate. The ball was a gap shot that simply split the center fielder and right fielder, rolling to the fence where it stopped.
In this series, Quinn hit a home run, though there was likely a little help from a brisk wind. The left-handed hitting Quinn, likes to bunt, or at least show bunt each AB to draw the infielders in at the corners. That is something that's been very common with lead-off hitters in Lakewood over the years. He has a low success rate with getting down bunts in games I've seen him.
He likes to work the count, something I've seen in almost every AB in which he didn't get the bunt down on the first pitch. Quinn fouls off a lot of pitches and has drawn some walks just by working the count with two strikes. He hasn't looked bad on any pitches yet.
In the field, Quinn needs work. He has all the skills to be a shortstop in the majors and at the pace he should move up the minor league ladder, I see no reason he won't stay there. His range is excellent and his arm, while not always accurate, is very strong. In Sunday's game, he had a backhand stop in the hole and made a nice long accurate throw from the lip of the outfield grass. In the first game I saw him play this year, he made a tougher play from the same spot. On a grounder up the middle in an earlier game, he got in front of a ball that I thought was a sure hit and made the play. At best, off the bat, it looked like he may have been able to knock the ball down with a dive. He also made a play where a hard grounder ate him up, but he committed and didn't rush the throw, recording the out.
So the range is good both ways, the arm is very good and he gets rid of the ball quick, therefore the problems with throwing should be rectified with repetition. The plate patience is there at a young age, he has a little pop, but will never hit many homers. There are signs that he will be able to put up a strong on base percentage that will play well at the top of the order. He had the speed to steal plenty of bases and has shown good base running skills.
Shane Watson
The Phillies took Watson 40th overall in last year's draft and let him pitch briefly in the Gulf Coast League, allowing him to go seven innings over five outings. He has a nice four-pitch mix, showing an above average curveball and the ability to throw it for strikes. He took the mound in the final game of the series.
Watson was throwing in the 88-91 MPH range, twice hitting 92 on the radar. Interestingly enough, both of those 92's came against Brandon Nimmo in different plate appearances. The curve was coming in at 75 MPH and had a huge break that fooled batters, keeping them off-balance, while mixing in a low 80's change-up. Watson worked Nimmo carefully, but against the rest of the lineup he attacked the batters. He gave up just one hit, a solid single up the middle by Jayce Boyd. He walked three batters on the day, two of them were to Nimmo in their only two meetings of the game. Watson struck out two batters.
BlueClaws manager Mickey Morandini hooked Watson after the fifth inning, despite his throwing only 10-12 pitches in the 4th and 5th innings combined. Watson had to work a little in the 1st and 3rd, but his total pitch count seemed low at the time. The weather was cold, so it's possible that contributed to Morandini's decision. This start wasn't typical for Watson this season. He has been inducing a healthy number of ground balls and getting more strikeouts as well, but he held the Sand Gnats to just one hit and really, just one hard hit ball, so you take that effort any day. Overall, a strong outing from the 19-year-old righty.
John Drekker is a guest contributor to HHOTF. He regularly writes for Pirates Prospects. You can follow him on Twitter @JohnDreker.
In 14 games with the Savannah Sand Gnats of the Class-A South Atlantic League, the Mets highly regarded prospect is hitting .411 with 10 RBI, a home run, a double, and a triple. He's also worked 5 walks, has a .477 OBP, and a .518 SLG percentage.
After arriving in St. Lucie this spring lighter on his feet, he felt stronger. Different. His body was still growing, but he knew the commitment to getting in better shape had contributed to how much better he felt overall.
That feeling has carried over into the regular season.
"I have better body control. I've matured and I feel more consistent," he said Thursday. "It's helped with my whole game. I'm definitely quicker and more in control of everything."
At the end of last season, his body was betraying him. His first full professional season with the Class-A (short season) Brooklyn Cyclones was both successful and a trial, physically and mentally.
"Last year was a lot of learning. You're trying to do a lot of things that you're not used to. I just feel more comfortable. I did the best I could everyday."
He played in 140 games, something that might be overlooked because half of that was played in extended spring training. He pushed himself to the physical limit by the time the Cyclones stumbled out of playoff contention.
"I'm obviously also getting older [he's 20]. So my body is getting stronger."
The Mets, who selected him in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft, have to be pleased with the strong spring he had, and the footing he already has on the new season. Entering 2013, he was ranked 4th in the organization by Baseball America.
The results are outstanding so far, but Nimmo sees the big picture. It's a long season and he's learned that. Keeping the pace is key.
"I have to be better overall. I need to have better footwork in the outfield, take better swings, and mentally and physically continue to improve my approach. I need to do that until I get to the majors...and continue to improve once I'm there."
Trenton, New Jersey- Leadership is a key word when talking about Joe Panik.
And that aspect of him as a player garners quite a comparison.
"A lot of of us in the organization said he reminded us of Buster Posey," said Richmond Flying Squirrels hitting coach Ken Joyce. "In the sense that he has that same demeanor. He has that attitude in the way he goes about his business. He's professional, came from a decent family, and a good school at St. John's."
All of that is integral in helping the infielder, who is starting the season with a lot on his plate. Expectations (#4 ranked prospect in the Giants system by Baseball America) and a switch in position from shortstop to second base.
But none of that appears distracting to Panik.
"I've learned, especially with college and the [MLB] Draft, to ignore it and not pay attention," said Panik, 22. "Because a lot of the stuff they say is either too good, or some of the bad stuff is too bad. So I've learned to say, 'You know what?' Just ignore it. Concentrate on the game you've played ever since you were a little kid.
The Eastern League is always a big test for any player, as is any Double-A league. There's less errors to take advantage of. The challenges multiply. Panik is more humbled by that, than feeling over-matched
"Yeah, pitchers are a lot more consistent, that's for sure. They don't make too many mistakes. So you have to capitalize on it," Panik said.
In a game against the Trenton Thunder on April 11th, he showed impressive composure at the plate. Batting second (behind shortstop Ehire Adrianza), Panik worked hitter's counts consistently and made good contact with each plate appearance. It was in the 9th that he really turned on the lights. He took advantage of a struggling Thunder bullpen, hitting a two-out triple to right-center. His line-drive approach was good, but not enough to get the ball out of the infield. He never took a bad swing at pitches he couldn't handle.
That approach might be attributable to his mentality, as much as his natural ability.
"I'll tell you what, he's a very mature player. Very close to being polished when he came out of St. John's [1st round, 2011]," said Joyce. "I [worked] with him in the Arizona Fall League two years ago and he had just got done playing short-season. He was on a team with Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Brandon Crawford, and Wil Middlebrooks. And here's a kid who just started professional baseball, and was actually getting their attention. He hit .300 in that league just coming out of college. He's a guy that can swing the bat, uses the whole field, knows what his limits are, and has a good work ethic."
His ability to be selective was on display in that game, but Panik sees room for improvement.
"[I need to] become more consistent with pitch selection. When I try to do too much with a pitch, that's when I get into trouble. It's just patience."
The decision to move Panik from the middle of the infield to second was a period of adjustment, but one he embraced entering Spring Training.
"I played shortstop my whole life. And so playing second base was the main thing I worked on. Spring Training I was getting used to the turns. It was just about getting comfortable and taking a lot of ground balls. I definitely feel almost natural now."
In 2012, he hit .297, with 76 RBI and 58 walks in the California League. He was third in the league in hits with 159. Post-All Star break, he hit .324, and .337 with runners in scoring position.
So far this year he's hitting .235, with 4 RBI and 3 walks.
"I was pretty excited to come to the Eastern League, making the jump from High-A to Double-A. I was looking forward to it. So far I've gotten off to a good start and I've really gotten comfortable with the competition. Going forward, I'm very confident."
As a leader, he takes a performance-approach to the role. He knows who he is, even now.
"I like to be a leader through my actions on the field. I'm not one of those guys and get in someone's face. I pride myself on doing things the right way."
Ian Kadish understands the importance of making the most of every opportunity.
After going undrafted out of Marshall University in 2011, he's taken the chance the Jays gave him when they signed him, and begun building a solid career.
This year is one more step, one more chance. Another opportunity is in his hands.
The Jays rewarded his successful 2012 campaign by starting him with the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts. He was promoted late last season, making 2013 his first full season at that level.
He's confident, but is striking a balance. He knows he can create even more opportunity by adding more weapons.
"[Working on the slider] went well," he said Friday of his off-season focus. "It came along. I'm working on the cutter too. I like that better than the slider. It's a little harder and sharper. It's a good pitch to add to the arsenal."
Kadish split time between Vancouver of the Short-Season Northwest League and Class-A Lansing of the Midwest League, throwing a combined 40.2 innings and finishing with an overall 2.66 ERA and 57 strikeouts. Through 18 innings for Lansing he allowed 9 runs, fourteen hits, and walked 9.
"I picked up [Midwest League] hitters quickly. But there was an adjustment period. I really created my own experience facing hitters."
The righty spent the winter working on the slider and cutter, but heading into Spring Training, one word hung in the air.
"Consistency. That's the main thing. Being able to repeat my delivery throughout the season, my release point, command...that's always been my biggest problem. I've gotten better. Being in this league, I'm taking another step to better my progress."
Kadish expects to be in a setup role this year. Lansing opened their season earlier this week.
New York City - Andrew Zapata won’t have to travel far to begin the college phase of his baseball career.
The Staten Island native will graduate this year from Poly Prep, and soon begin pitching for the University of Connecticut Huskies.
And while it’s a cold weather program, Zapata doesn’t think of it as much of a change from the chill of the northeast, to the chill of New England air.
“I do think about it a little. But it won’t be dramatically different. I’ll get used to it and be comfortable. I don’t think it will be a huge challenge,” he said.
His teammates and coaches at Uconn will soon find that a confident focused disposition is the Andrew Zapata way. [Note: He must be pretty excited to get there. His Twitter background already represents the Huskies. Follow him @Azapata24]
“I’ve coached him for four years and he’s always been humble, and winning is all that’s on his mind. He’s always been like that,” said Poly Prep head coach Matt Roventini.
With a four-pitch repertoire (fastball, cutter, slider, changeup), he is already highly developed.
“He can throw all four for strikes. He gets his fastball in the plus-ninety zone and has the three off-speed pitches, making him very hard to hit when he puts it all together,” Roventini said.
The learning experience of properly using one's talent on the field is ongoing. Even with all the talent and humility, he's still had to figure out who he is as a teammate, and as a pitcher. With a solid ability to lead and such impressive skills, he's still working out the approach.
“I'm always working on my changeup. I feel it could be better. This off-season, I worked on that more than any other pitch. For some reason, that's always taken me longer to locate,” Zapata said.
As for the leadership aspect, that is both a strength and a part of himself he feels he needs to polish as much as his offerings on the mound.
“When he came to the team, he had a lot of talent, but was also very humble, which you don't always see with the best players,” Roventini said. “He learned a lot from the older guys. John Franco's son was here, and other guys that were extremely talented. It was sophomore year that he really became the number one pitcher. He embraces the role of leader. He's more vocal. Now he's the one helping the younger guys.”
Zapata agrees that he's embraced the role, but he also sees room to let the game breathe and the players play. His competitive drive pushes him to push others, perhaps too much at times.
“I recently have found I needed to take a step back. I was really hard on them at first this year. I don't like to lose. But I also want their respect,” Zapata said.
Respect was key in selecting Uconn. The baseball program is led by highly respected head coach Jim Penders, whom Zapata met with before deciding. He was immediately struck by the dedication that Penders showed to the school, developing players, and more than that. Much more than what the player becomes.
“He's completely committed to the school. He said he's never going to leave, he never wants to, and that he loves the school and the team. He makes sure that he gets to know the guys he's recruiting as people, not just as players. He's a great person and wants to see us develop into better players, but, more importantly, better men.”
In the past several years players drafted out of Uconn's baseball program by major league teams include, David Fischer (Nationals), Greg Nappo (Marlins), Kevin Vance (White Sox), and Anthony Giansanti (Cubs).
Penders will inherit a pitcher that Roventini said is already highly developed. His willingness to learn, and what he's learned so far, make him valuable. But so too does his unwavering devotion to getting better, no matter how good he already is.
“He's never sat on his talent,” Roventini said. “He's learned how to pitch, not just throw the ball harder. He's learning how. And his work habits are impeccable. He just goes out there and takes care of it. He wants to go pro, but he's never let the pressure get to him.”
Zapata is goal-oriented, not just for himself, but for the team. Ultimately, though, it's when he has the ball that he takes full accountability.
“I want to win. But when you pitch, you can almost win the game for the team. When I'm in control, I want to do my best.”
After signing in November to play for Florida Atlantic, Dunedin High School senior Kellen Brown is no closer to an academic focus. But his baseball focus is clear.
"Florida Atlantic has a solid program. Once they gave their offer, it was exciting," he said Thursday.
The shortstop, who can also play outfield and other infield positions, has been impressing since last year. And even if big name schools didn't come calling, he put up numbers that showed he's put the work in and has talent.
In his junior year for the Falcons, he made 160 plate appearances, hitting .429 with 21 RBI, 8 doubles, and scored 29 runs. He also stole 7 bases, while striking out just five times all season. That was after a sophomore season in which he hit .563. He started every game last year.
"Hopefully it's the same this year. But last year was a big jump," he said, in terms of the amount of time he played.
The Florida native will be close to home as he begins his college experience. His sister was actually a big part of why he selected FA.
"She was going around looking at campuses, and I'd go along every time. I liked that the best and being close to him was a big factor."
He'll also be joined by a former local high school coach, Dickie Hart, who is now an assistant coach for the Owls.
Brown, who hits left handed, is unclear what position he'll be playing at the moment, though he feels most natural at short. Players often struggle with one aspect of their game, but excel naturally at the other. For Brown, he's at ease at the plate. But the other half...
"I definitely need to improve defense. Not that it's awful," he said, then laughed. "Hitting has just always been more comfortable for me. Whether I'm hitting against left-handed or right-handed pitching, it never throws me off. But fielding, is just more pressure."
The June MLB Draft is not far off, and there's plenty of buzz about who will go high. The draft boards are set with favorites. Being on the small side, Brown said, he's not sure where he might be picked. And that's on his mind.
"I think about it. Size is a big thing. But I'm open to anything. If I draft high, that would be great. But either way, I'll get my education. And I'd weigh between college and playing."
You can follow Kellen Brown on Twitter @kbrowntwelve
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