Minor League M's Thoughts

[Porter]

Post your Minor League Thoughts here.

[Porter]

Snyder throwing cheese in Wisconsin

http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/NASA...=.jsp&c_id=sea

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are off to a 13-4 start. That's the best in the Class A Midwest League. A big reason for their early success has been the solid pitching by Jason Snyder, who has been named the Mariners' first Minor League Player of the Week for the 2005 season.

Through three starts this season, Snyder is 3-0 with a 2.41 ERA, both tops for the Rattlers. He also leads the team with 18 2/3 innings pitched, which ranks seventh in the league.

"He had an average Spring Training and then got hot right out of the shoot in Wisconsin," said Greg Hunter, Mariners director of Minor League operations.

It seems like the M's lower class teams are very successful as of late. I havent heard of Snyder but from what i see hes a Slider, Changeup, Fastball pitcher. He just turned 22 this month, this is his 1st pro season with the M's. Another one of those Draft-and-Follow players.

[Porter]

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/a...acaaa_slcaaa_1

Tacoma doubles up Salt Lake, 6-3
April 30, 2005

Aaron Rifkin delivered a three-run homer in the sixth inning as the Tacoma Rainiers beat the Salt Like Stingers, 6-3, Friday night in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Tacoma pitchers, who entered the game with a 5.29 ERA, gave up just four hits to Salt Lake hitters, who were hitting .308 as a team entering Friday's game. Right-hander Rich Dorman (1-3) picked up his first win of the year, giving the Rainiers five innings of three-run ball, allowing three hits, three walks and striking out three. Southpaw George Sherrill pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings for his second save of the season.

The Stingers had only four hits, but made the most out of what they had, with three of the four hits being a double and two home runs. Nick Gorneault and Brian Gordon led off the second inning with back-to-back shots, giving Salt Lake an early 2-0 lead.

Tacoma quickly overtook the lead in the following inning, thanks to a two-out, three-run homer off the bat of Abraham Nunez, his second of the year. Salt Lake tied it in the fifth, but the Rainiers put up another three-spot in the sixth, with Rifkin delivering his three-run blast with no outs.

With the win, Tacoma extends its winning streak to three games and stands at 10-10. -- Michael Echan/MLB.com

You wonder if Sherril is being groomed for a closer spot and thats why hes been kept in Tacoma.

[MarinersFan87]

What is Putz then? A set up man? And if Putz is a set up guy, then what is Raffy when he gets back? I think that Nelson brings nothing to the table now, and Sherril should be on the ML roster, not Jeff.

[Porter]

Wisconsin gets blasted by South Bend in a 11-2 beatdown

The Silver Hawks got to starting pitcher Mark Lowe early and very often. Lowe (2-2) allowed 10 hits and 9 runs in 2 and 2/3 innings pitched. Carlos Gonzales hit a 2 run homer in the 1st to give them a 2-0 lead and they never looked back. Stephen Grasley did a brilliant job in mopup duty going 4 and 1/3 innings pitched allowing a measly 2 hits and 1 run. Austin Shappi got the win for South Bend improving to 3-0. He went 7 IP allowing 5 hits, striking out 5 and allowing 2 earned runs. Thomas Hubbard was the only Timber Rattler with more than 1 hit.

[Porter]

San Antonio holds off late rally from Arkansas in 5-3 win

The Missions overcame starter Jon Hubers control issues and got early strikes from the bottom of the order in a win over the Travelers. Huber (1-1) walked 5 batters and allowed 11 hits, yet managed to only allow 1 run. The distrubing part of the game was Missions didnt score after the 3rd inning. Delvin James, Matthew Wilhite, and Aaron Pullin held San Antonio to 5 H and 1 ER in 7 innings pitched. Thomas Bohn went 2 for 4 to raise his average to .347 on the young season.

[Porter]

What is Putz then? A set up man? And if Putz is a set up guy, then what is Raffy when he gets back? I think that Nelson brings nothing to the table now, and Sherril should be on the ML roster, not Jeff.

The Tacoma News Tribune had his role listed as late inning situations. Im not fully sure if they are going to use him to close but i cant understand why hes not up here right now. Nelson should go to Tampa Bay lol. Soriano hasnt pitched in 2 years i believe, i think they are having him close more as insurance in case Raffy continues the Young Pitchers Injury Curse.

[MarinersFan87]

Raffy last pitched in early May of last year, he got Tommy John surgery in August I believe it was. Late June/early July was the last I heard for his return.

[Porter]

Snelling continues to hit like a mad man. hes hitting .474 in Tacoma right now.

[Porter]

Choo returns from Seattle and he blasts one over the center field fence in Cheney Stadium. To put this in perspective its a 20 foot center field fence thats only been cleared once before by AJ Zapp. Choo had tried in BP but couldnt do it.

Call up George Sherrill PLEASE, SEND JEFF NELSON TO SIBERIA for a frozen snowball!

[Porter]

Balentien takes Minor League honor

http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/NASA...=.jsp&c_id=sea

A year ago, Wladimir Balentien was awarded the Mariners Minor League Player of the Week honor after hitting three home runs and driving in 10 runs during a 16 at-bat stretch for the Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

A year later and a classification higher in the Mariners organization, Balentien is at it again. In his last 10 games with Class A Inland Empire, Balentien is batting .390 with four doubles, three home runs, seven runs scored and 11 RBIs.

And he has again been named Minor League Player of the Week by Greg Hunter, director of Minor League operations for the Mariners.

"He's been our best hitter [at Inland Empire] all year," Hunter said. "He's a little bit streaky, but overall, he's been the most consistent guy."

Balentien has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games and is batting .296 this season. He is also tied for second in the California League with 10 home runs and is second among his teammates with 26 RBIs.

Its about time some offense starts to develop thru the system.

[Porter]

Rainiers stop Redbirds in extra innings
May 25, 2005

Chris Snelling scored from third on a passed ball, giving the Tacoma Rainiers a 6-5 win over the Memphis Redbirds in 11 innings on Tuesday night at Cheney Stadium.

Facing reliever Vladimir Nunez (1-2), Snelling tripled to right with one out in the 11th. Memphis manager Danny Sheaffer brought the infield in, and Snelling had to hold up when Ryan Christianson grounded out to short. Then a ball got by catcher Mike Mahoney, allowing Snelling to score the winning run.

The loss was a tough one for Memphis, which had earlier tied the game on a Hector Luna triple with two outs in the ninth. The Redbirds have now lost four straight, while Tacoma picked up its fifth consecutive win.

Pitching in his first game for the Rainiers, the recently promoted Jeff Harris (1-0) got the win with 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Harris allowed a hit and two walks after coming on for George Sherrill, who yielded a Mahoney double and the Luna triple in the ninth.

Jamal Strong hit RBI singles in the fifth and sixth for the Rainiers, while Abraham Nunez contributed with run-scoring singles in the fifth and seventh innings. In addition to scoring the winning run, Snelling hit a sacrifice fly. Shin-Soo Choo had three hits, including a double.

For Memphis, John Nelson was 2-for-4 with a two-run single, while Brandon Berger doubled in a run. Mahoney and John Gall each went 2-for-4 with a double for the Redbirds.

Memphis starter Anthony Reyes went 5 1/3 innings, allowing four runs -- two earned -- on six hits. The reigning Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week and top prospect walked two and struck out seven.

With two losses to Tacoma, the Redbirds will need to take the next two games against the Rainiers to avoid dropping their first series since mid-April. -- Nate Freiberg/MLB.com

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/a...rbaaa_tacaaa_1

Choo, Snelling, Christensen are all hitting very well with Strong as their front 4. Christensen should be in Tacoma, with PCL leading Chris Snelling who was hitting .401 going in.

[Porter]

Barker's single caps Drillers' comeback win
May 25, 2005

Sean Barker singled in Gustavo Escobar in the 10th inning to snap the Missions' six-game winning streak and give the Tulsa Drillers a thrilling 6-5 comeback win on Tuesday night in San Antonio.

The Drillers rallied from a 5-3 deficit with two runs in the top of the ninth inning. Corey Slavik plated the first run with an RBI groundout to Missions reliever Sean Green (0-1), and then Green threw a wild pitch which allowed Jayson Nix to score the tying run.

Nix gave the Drillers a 3-0 lead in the first inning when he singled in Douglas Bernier and scored on Slavik's RBI double.

San Antonio then rallied for five unanswered runs. Rene Rivera singled in a run in the second inning. In the fourth, Jon Nelson homered for the second time in two nights to tie the score at 3-3. Yuniesky Betancourt-Perez homered in the following frame to give San Antonio a 4-3 lead. In the sixth, Jesse Hoorelbeke's RBI double upped the Missions' margin to 5-3.

Jentry Beckstead (3-0) tossed three scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. P.J. Bevis pitched a hitless bottom of the 10th for his sixth save.

Betancourt-Perez led the Missions with a 3-for-4 effort. Jeff Salazar and Escobar had two hits apiece for Tulsa. -- Eric Justic/MLB.com

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/a...ulaax_sanaax_1

Rowland Smith had a solid game with 7 hits, 3 earned runs, 7 strikeout and NO WALKS over 6 innings pitched. but he earned a ND because Sean Green IMPLODED allowing 3 runs in his 2 innings of work.

[Porter]

Jorge Campillo - 2-1, 2.98 ERA, 45.1 IP, 43 H, 15 ER, 31 K, 8 BB
Felix Hernandez - 6-3, 2.63 ERA, 51.1 IP, 39 H, 15 ER, 51 K, 23 BB
Damian Moss - 2-3, 3.23 ERA, 30.2 IP, 23 H, 11 ER, 18 K, 21 BB

I dont know about you but shouldnt these 3 replace some people in the ROTATION right now. THIS IS FROM TACOMA PEOPLE.

[Porter]

Moss lowered his ERA to under 3, so now its 3 Rainers starters with ERAs under 2.

Post 2,000 by the way.