Some recent good pitching lines:

Jake Sisco 7-4-2-2-0-2 5 innings perfect game
Dillon Howard 5-8-1-1-1-3 first pro victory
Danny Salazar 7-3-1-1-0-8 longest outing; looking good in AA
Felix Sterling 4-0-0-0-3-6 had to take a step back to step up
Livingood 4-6-2-1-1-2 best he's done to date

Some notes from Sunday games:

Jeanmar Gomez is ready to bounce back into the Tribe rotation. A nice 4 2/3 inning effort today with a yeild of 9 hits, 5 walks and 8 runs. 7-footer Van Meil in AAA, 2 innings, 1 run. Trey Haley ready for 40 man roster spot this winter; up to AA, 2 innings, 3K. Will Roberts 2011 high round draftee RH with soft stuff, a rare good outing for Carolina, 5-3-1-1-0-6.

At back:

Phelps 2 more hits; Lara 2 hits; Canzler 2b #31, HR #20.
Chen 2 singles and 2 walks. Anyone want a 1B with great OBP, no speed and no HR power?
in Lake County: Jose Ramirez keeps it up: 3 hits, a double; .349. 2 hits for Lindor (261), Sabourin (307), Myles (281). Surprising power continues by Luigi Rodriguez, 10th homer for 19 year old smallish CF.

yesterday's notable lines, not including the 2-hit 1-homer game from The Great Dorsyss.

CLE AA Aguilar, Jesus 1B 3 0 1 2 .158 2B (2), 2 BB (3)
CLE AA Chen, Chun DH 3 1 2 0 .321 2 BB (52), SB (6)
CLE AAA Anderson, Lars 1B 3 1 2 2 .251
CLE AAA Phelps, Cord 2B 4 3 2 0 .282 BB (56)
CLE HiA Wolters, Tony SS 4 1 1 1 .259
CLE LoA Lindor, Francisco SS 4 2 2 0 .261 2B (22), BB (54)
CLE LoA Myles, Bryson DH 4 0 2 2 .281
CLE LoA Rodriguez, Luigi CF 4 1 1 1 .264 HR (10)
CLE LoA Smith, Jordan RF 4 2 1 2 .312 2B (21)
CLE AA Haley, Trey 2 2 1 1 1 3 1.74 W (3-0)
CLE AAA Van Mil, Loek 2 2 1 1 0 0 2.25
CLE HiA Martinez, Fabio 0.1 0 2 2 3 0 8.10 L (0-1) [ugh]

Which shortstop prospect has the higher ceiling and which has the better future, Javier Baez or Francisco Lindor?

C.J. Keller
Prattville, Ala.

Baez and Lindor figure to be linked for a while. They were both born in Puerto Rico and played their high school ball in the United States. They were the top two middle-infield prospects in the loaded 2011 draft and went with back-to-back picks, Lindor at No. 8 to the Indians and Baez at No. 9 to the Cubs. They both spent much of this season in the low Class A Midwest League.

For all their similarities, they're different types of players. Baez stands out most for his bat, while Lindor is the classic smooth defender at shortstop. Neither is one-dimensional, however. Baez has gotten strong reviews for his defense and baserunning ability this summer, and Lindor has the potential to develop into a top-of-the-order hitter.

Though Lindor is nearly a full year younger, Baez has the higher ceiling. He has incredible bat speed, and if he settles down at the plate, he could develop into a well above-average hitter for both average and power. He ripped through the MWL by batting .311/.360/.554, and scouts give him a better chance to stick at shortstop than they did a year ago.

If Baez has to move off shortstop, you could argue for either as having the brighter future. Lindor could be a Gold Glove shortstop and leadoff man, while Baez could be a .300 hitter with 30 homers, which would make him a star at any position. I'd lean toward Baez for the upside, but a lot of clubs would love to have a shortstop with Lindor's skills.

Not many on this list from yesterday:

CLE AAA Phelps, Cord 2B 4 2 1 0 .282 2B (33), 2 BB (58)
CLE LoA Myles, Bryson LF 4 0 1 0 .280
CLE AA Stowell, Bryce 1.2 0 0 0 1 1 3.75
CLE AAA Sturdevant, Tyler 1 1 0 0 0 1 3.86

I'm gone for the just about the rest of the minor league season, so dond't expect any more from me until September. Good luck Tribe minor leaguers. Few if any teams will be in the playoffs this year, since they all pretty much stink.

Vacation, CIV?

Scouting the Indians 2012 Draft: Part 4

Kieran Lovegrove (Photo: Bill Mitchell)
By Tony Lastoria
August 21, 2012
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This is part four of a five-part series of post-draft pieces that I am posting to the site over the next few weeks.

The Indians drafted and signed 26 players from this year’s draft, but not every player has been talked about or had comments provided about them from the front office. This series of articles looks to address that so that you can get to know a little bit more about each player the Indians drafted and signed this year with a small writeup from me on each player and then a comment on every player from Indians Amateur Scouting Director Brad Grant.

Rather than just roll down the list of players in order of when they were picked, I am putting these up at random and mixing the higher and lower profile prospects together. Five players will be featured each article for a total of five post-draft capsules (the last piece will have six players) and I have provided links to previous pieces in the series below:

Part 1: D’Vone McClure, Caleb Hamrick, Scott Peoples, Nick Pasquale, Nick Hamilton
Part 2: Tyler Naquin, Joe Wendle, Logan Vick, Cody Penny, Richard Stock
Part 3: Mitch Brown, Josh McAdams-Schubert, Jeremy Lucas, Louis Head, Walker White

Kieran Lovegrove: 3rd round, RHP, Mission Viejo HS (CA)

2012 stats: AZL Indians - 6 G, 0-1, 6.19 ERA, 16.0 IP, 25 H, 13 R (11 ER), 1 HR, 5 BB, 11 K, .357 BAA

Quick capsule: Lovegrove is a young right-handed pitcher with good size at 6’4” 185-pounds that has a lot of projection and upside with both his arm and body. He throws a low 90s sinking fastball that flashes mid-90s and complements it with a developing slider and changeup. He has some inconsistencies with his delivery and mechanics that he needs to iron out, but he has outstanding makeup and is very coachable, so the hope is he should be able to make the necessary adjustments to become more consistent.

Brad Grant: “With Lovegrove it is a 6’4” 180 pound loose, athletic and projection frame. Again, he is another guy who can touch 95 MPH, though he will pitch at 88-91 MPH. He has very good life to his fastball and has a developing slider that has a chance to be average. He has chance for an average changeup and he is another guy that throws strikes. He is another guy with a very good delivery, and we feel as he adds strength some more velocity will come. With his delivery he should be a durable starter that we can develop here over the next couple of years.”

Jacob Lee: 9th round, RHP, Arkansas State

2012 stats: Mahoning Valley – 14 G, 4-1, 2.17 ERA, 37.1 IP, 26 H, 12 R (9 ER), 1 HR, 9 BB, 42 K, .191 BAA

Quick capsule: Lee was a college senior so his stock is not as high as most players taken in the top ten rounds, but nonetheless, he is intriguing and has some interesting upside. Most intriguing is his fastball which sits in the low 90s and has some power to it where it flashes mid-90s and has some good late life. He also throws a curveball which is solid average and has a changeup. The hope is that with better coaching and strength and conditioning that his arm strength can be maximized and become more consistently in the mid-90s.

Brad Grant: “With Lee he is a guy that throws strikes and he has solid average to plus velocity as he will run it up to 94 MPH. He will sit 90-92 MPH with a solid average curveball and average changeup, and is a good strike thrower. He is a guy that had success at Arkansas State and a guy that we think can come in and throw a lot of strikes and has the secondary offerings to advance through the system as a starter.”

Nelson Rodriguez: 15th round, C, George Washington HS

2012 stats: AZL Indians – 26 G, .211/.368/.456, 17 R, 6 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 21 BB, 35 K

Quick capsule: Rodriguez has enormous size at 6’2” 250-pounds even though he just turned 18-years old in June. He has some very good raw power and it is easily his best tool, though he has the makings of a good, patient approach at the plate. He is going to have to stay on top of his body and stay in good shape, and his plate discipline needs work. He currently catches and has a good arm, but could end up at first base down the road as he continues to get bigger.

Brad Grant: “We are going to keep catching him. Right now he is playing first base just to get at bats as we have so many catching prospects in Arizona right now so we are just trying to find playing time for him, but we are not going to rule out catching at this point. We drafted him basically on his ability to hit and his ability to hit for power so he is an offensive oriented player for sure who performed at a very good level for a high school kid. For a 17-year old he played and performed well in the summer and during the course of the spring during the elite high school tournaments. He can hit and can hit with power, and we will continue to explore the catching a little bit in instructional league and see where it takes us. It is just his size and if he outgrows the position, but he has the arm strength and means to be able to catch.”

Jimmy Stokes: 22nd round, RHP, Elon University (NC)

2012 stats: Mahoning Valley – 14 G, 1-3, 5.95 ERA, 19.2 IP, 25 H, 20 R (13 ER), 1 HR, 14 BB, 14 K, .309 BAA

Quick capsule: Stokes has a large 6’6” 225 pound frame from which to work that allows him to get good leverage on opposing hitters and get his ball on a good downward plane. His fastball sits in the low 90s and he complements it with a developing curveball. He is more of a project for the Player Development staff as he has all kinds of tools and intangibles, but needs a lot of refining to maximize his abilities.

Brad Grant: “He is another guy that can touch 95 MPH and will pitch at 93 MPH. He has good arm side run and good late sink to his fastball. The secondary stuff we have to develop a little bit. It is a hard slider now and has some action to it, but it just needs to gain a little more tilt to it and then just continue to develop his command and control. He is a guy that has size and some arm strength.”

D.J. Brown: 39th round, RHP, James Madison University

2012 stats: has not pitched

Quick capsule: Brown is a tall, slender right-handed pitcher with good height at 6’6” that helps him got on top of hitters. He had shoulder surgery last fall so did not pitch this season, but the Indians took a chance on a distressed property that has upside if he fully recovers and regains his past form. He throws his fastball in the low 90s with a good curveball, and has some upside.

Brad Grant: “We have had success in the past in taking these guys and then rehabbing them and getting them back on the mound with Vinnie Pestano being a good example of that right now. So we always look to find one of these guys and our scouts always do a good job of identifying them. In this case our scouts Bob Mayer and Scott Meaney saw him when we saw Jake Lowery play last year. When we saw Lowery we saw Brown and saw him pitch at JMU and he pitched very well. He was up to 93 MPH had very good life to his fastball and had a plus curveball. He had shoulder surgery and went to a very good doctor and everything came back fine so he should be able to progress as normal. There is a little bit of a risk that we have not seen him pitch in a game at all, but he takes a risk too that maybe he could have gone higher in the draft or got more money. So it is a win-win for both sides because we feel like we can rehab him, we can progress him back correctly, and we can move him back slowly through things and get him back where he was, and if we do we have a big 6’6” right-hander with a plus breaking ball. He is throwing off the mound now and he is throwing bullpens and we have him back on a long toss program. We will build him back up to hopefully throw some innings in Instructional League so we can see where he is and he can feel comfortable about where he is before he gets to spring training next year.”

Transactions:

RHP Caleb Hamrick assigned
OF LeVon Washington received on Minor League Rehab Assignment
Week in Review

The Arizona League Indians had a superb week as their season approaches its final week and a half, going 5-1 from August 12 through the 19th. In the week, the consistently prolific offense averaged almost 7 runs per game and the pitching looked promising as Dillon Howard had undoubtedly his finest start of the AZL season as well as a fine outing from 2011 second rounder Mitch Brown.

The AZL Indians record stands at 26-21, setting them four games behind the AZL Dodgers in the Central and 6th in the Arizona League standings among the 13 squads.

Here’s a rundown of this week’s AZL Indians report:

Player of the Week: Dorssys Paulino

Paulino has absolutely been raking all season, but may have had his best hitting week in the Arizona League this past week as he hit .560 (14-26) dating back to August 13. Undeniably, the bat is advanced for a 17-year old player. Paulino takes pitches, flashes power, shows good plate discipline, has shown a knack for situational hitting as well as clutch hitting.

Obviously, complex league statistics may not carry over to identical numbers at the higher levels, but hitters hit, and Paulino will do just that. The glove will take some time, but Paulino will land at an infield position and look to master it because the ballplayer is a very focused young man. Some of the young teenagers throughout the Arizona League have showed signs of immaturity, perhaps considering that’s what comes with the territory of being so young and playing baseball for a living. Most other teenagers are goofing off while working at the movie theater while these teens are expected to mature quickly into the role of pro.

Paulino has shown maturity on and off the diamond this season and it’s been impressive. Paulino is second in hitting in the AZL with his .355 average and third in OPS with a 1.015. Expect him to be in the top three prospects for the Indians entering 2013.

Pitcher of the Week: Mitch Brown

The righty rebounded from two of his more subpar starts as he threw five hitless innings of shutout ball on August 15th. It was Brown’s first pro win as the Minnesota native struck out five and walked only two on his night. Brown’s fastball is an advanced pitch for a recent high school graduate, so honing the other stuff was his task at hand. The line he flashed was his best of the season. Brown looks like a guy that may have punched his ticket to Lake County for next season considering his smooth and consistent delivery and dominant numbers in the AZL (2.75 ERA in six starts).

Debut: Caleb Hamrick

The 8th round pick of this year’s draft made his pro debut last week and looked impressive. Hamrick is listed at 6’2, 210 lbs and from a physical standpoint is nearly maxed out. He’ll continue to build strength, but he is mature for a high school pitcher. Hamrick pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for the Indians this past week, though it may have been to keep the five man staff on schedule.

Hamrick has a thick lower half that he utilizes well in his delivery. His debut came on August 15thas he threw two innings surrendering a run on three hits—not too bad for a guy that hasn’t faced live hitting since the high school season concluded. Hamrick came to Arizona later than most the other pitchers and threw well in his first week. His second appearance was another set of two innings in which he struck out three, in two consecutive 1-2-3 innings.

Stat Comparisons:

As the AZL season begins to conclude, let’s take a look at where the Indians hitters and pitchers rank among the league:

Hitting

SS Dorssys Paulino, as noted earlier, is 2nd in the AZL in batting average and 3rd in OPS. The lone hitter with a better batting average is four years older than him, a polished college bat in Paul Hoenecke out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
3B Jorge Martinez is 5th in the league in both hitting and OPS at .343 and .947, respectively. Martinez is tied for 2nd with 7 HR, though he’s a long way from the leader, the Rangers’ 1st rounder Joey Gallo who has mashed 18 on the season.
On the other end of the spectrum, OF Josh McAdams, the Indians 7th rounder this year, is 6th in the league in strikeouts with 45 in 108 at-bats. McAdams has put up good AB’s, but is struggling down in the count—obviously—and struggling to put off speed pitches in play. Physically a mature player, McAdams has seemingly dug himself into a strikeout hole he can’t get out of, but scouts I’ve spoken to still really like the upside of the physical rightfielder.
Jorge Martinez leads the team with 33 RBI and ranks 8th in the AZL. Outfielder Anthony Santander is tied with Paulino with 30 RBI, ranking 12th in Arizona. Next on the squad is Tyler Booth with 22 RBI, not bad considering he’s the primary leadoff hitter.
Paulino is 4th in doubles with 14 while Martinez is just two in back of him with 12. Booth and Haase are next as they are both tied with 10. Most impressively, Haase has done it in just 23 games (88 ABs, nearly half of Paulino and Martinez’s at-bats).
Catcher Ryan Battaglia leads the Indians in walks with 22 in just 27 games. “Boot” has a .404 OBP despite just a .231 average and may be the most polished catcher on the AZL roster.
Pitching

While Mitch Brown technically does not qualify for ERA leaders( only 6 starts), his 2.75 ERA would rank 3rd in the AZL.
Estevenson Encarnacion is tied for 3rd in the league with 4 wins. The sling throwing reliever has a 5.04 ERA but also has 25 strikeouts in 30.1 IP.
Lefty Luis Lugo ranks 9th in the league in strikeouts with 44. Though he’s seen his share of base runners (1.47 WHIP), Lugo is a very nice left handed prospect with smooth mechanics and very good size at 6’5. He’ll fill out and the 90 MPH fastball should tick even higher, especially considering he’s just 17.
Reliever Alexis Paredes is tied in the top five of games finished with nine. A rather peculiar stat, it does suggest the Tribe considers Paredes as one of their better arms considering he’s finishing the game. Joshua Nervis is also one of the late inning close game relievers who has been absolutely lights out for the Tribe. These are two of the better bullpen arms on the roster and both have quality stuff. Paredes sports a 2.35 ERA while Nervis’ is a shiny 1.52.

Carolina notes: Wolters finds his way

Mudcats infielder turns season around after early struggles

By Jeff Seidel / Special to MLB.com

08/22/2012 10:49 AM ET
Injuries are rarely helpful, but the hip problem that sidelined Carolina Mudcats infielder Tony Wolters for a few days early this season proved to be a bit of a blessing.

The reason -- it gave him time to refocus. Wolters, who turned 20 in June, missed a week and realized he was pressuring himself too much and in too many ways. He began to turn things around when he returned and steadily developed into one of Carolina's top offensive threats this season.

A third-round pick of the Indians in the 2010 Draft, Wolters started the season far below the Mendoza line with a .130 average at the end of April. That's when a hip flexor injury kept him out about a week. Wolters returned on a mission, batting .291 in May and tearing up the circuit in July to the tune of .343 in 25 games. Those stretches helped raise his season average to .261 with five homers, 52 RBIs and a league high-tying seven triples.

"It gave me a mental break," Wolters said. "It's a game. That's my job. You have to realize that. That week really put it in perspective for me."

Wolters spent that week watching from the dugout -- looking, listening and studying. He then worked hard just trying to relax and have fun playing the game. Wolters also incorporated more of a team mentality and wanted to make sure he fared better to help his teammates, which hadn't happened often in that first month.

"I came back with a clear mind," said Wolters, who leads the Mudcats with 114 hits and is tied for fourth with 52 RBIs. "It helped out. Every time I do strike out or make an error, I don't take it as hard. It's just a game."

The slow start also could have had something to do with the fact that Wolters skipped a level when he moved from the New York-Penn League to the Class A Advanced Carolina League -- never an easy task.

Mudcats manager Edwin Rodriguez said he's certainly noticed the difference in Wolters' play after the first month.

"He had a very tough first month," Rodriguez said. "But he turned it around. He made himself a better player. He made himself a better person."

Rodriguez also said Wolters, despite being so young, has grown into a quiet leader on the team, more proof that the hard work and changes were helpful. And even though Wolters certainly didn't enjoy battling through that first month, he gained from it.

"Every game was like a month for me, but I'm grateful for that," Wolters said. "When I'm struggling ... now I know how to get myself out of it. Instead of being a month, it will be a week next time."

20? He looks about 14 in that photo.

Credit where credit is due........I was planning on taking up some of the slack for Civ, but that's a chore in itself. He really does a great job in this folder.

Erie 3 Akron 2

Billy Hamilton breaks steals record


PENSACOLA, Fla. --

Cincinnati Reds minor leaguer Billy Hamilton bolted to his record 146th stolen base of the season and kept running Tuesday night, swiping four in the first game of a Double-A doubleheader.

Hamilton added his 147th steal in the final inning of Pensacola's 4-2 loss to Montgomery. Hamilton stole 104 in the first half of the season with Class A Bakersfield, then was promoted to the Southern League.

Hamilton broke the record for steals by minor league teams affiliated with big league organizations set by Vince Coleman in 1983 with 145 for Macon in the Class A South Atlantic League.

The modern major league record was set by Rickey Henderson with 130 in 1982.

Hamilton single-handedly has more steals than any major league team; the Miami Marlins lead the majors with 121 steals this season.

Hamilton stole second base in the first inning, then swiped second and third in the third inning to eclipse Coleman's mark. Hamilton made a headfirst slide for the record-breaker and Pensacola manager Jim Riggleman, who was coaching third base, gave him a hearty handshake as the crowd rewarded the speedster with a standing ovation.

Hamilton's teammates came out of the dugout to applaud him. Ryan LaMarre, who was batting at the time for the Blue Wahoos, came down the third-base line to congratulate him.

The 21-year-old Hamilton has been caught stealing 33 times this season. He has forced many errors and balks while on the bases.

Hamilton has played 121 games this year. Coleman played 113 games during his record-setting season and was caught stealing 31 times.

At both minor league levels combined, Hamilton is batting .317 with a .417 on-base percentage.

Captains 9 South Bend 3

Toledo 8 Clippers 3