Best Futures Game Coverage on the Net!

I guarantee you will not find better scouting reports for ALL the players who played in the Futures Game this past All-Star Break then what you are about to read, if you so choose.

I watched the Futures Game on tape and have put my reports for every prospect (our recording stopped prior to the bottom of the 7th and have been unable to find another version to watch the end, so no Juan Carlos Sulbaran or any of the batters he faced).

To get these scouting reports exact, I watched each half inning twice. The 1st time, I focused on the pitcher, his mechanics, his arm action and his pitches. The 2nd time, I focused on the hitters, carefully studying their swing mechanics, setups, bat speed and the type of pitches they were putting in play and how well.

You will also notice as you scroll down (read below for each individual player) that I didn't give a final grade for any of the players. What I have done is tried to provide you with all the information about the player and will leave it to you to make a decision on a player. I feel a scouts job isn't to be able to expertly dissect talent, but rather write reports that provides your boss with enough information to make an informed decision come draft time, trade time or free agent time.

If you enjoy this, please let me know, as this took forever and would like to know it wasn't done just for my benefit.

Oh, and for anyone looking for the gameday of the Futures Game, here is it:
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2009_07_12_wftmin_uftmin_1

Futures Game: US

(#) in parenthesis equals ranking according to Baseball America

Position Players: BA-OBP-SLG, HR-RBI, SB-CS

Eric Young Jr.: Colorado Rockies (18). S/R. 5-10, 180. 24 yr old. Small frame that can add a little more muscle and probably around 190-195 without losing speed. Stance is a slightly open with a little crouch and leans back on his back leg to keep his weight back. Also has a little bat wiggle action. Trigger is a step to square himself up and a cocking of the bat. Good line drive swing with solid bat speed. May have a hitch in there with the cocking and then dropping his hands, but that would only affect his ability to hit for power and he will never hit for much. Then, right after I wrote that, he took Samuel's FB deep, about 385. Good fielding mechanics at 2B, looks like he could be inconsistent with his accuracy with his arm slot. Good hands and good feet around the bag on the double play. Comparable to Chone Figgins with the ability to put a charge in a ball once in awhile and think that is a very good comparison.

AB's
1) K Swinging. Chased a FB way out from Feliz and looked overmatched in his AB.
2) HR to RCF. Fliner Fly Hard that he got all of. Pitch was a fastball on the outside corner that Young just hit hard.
3) BB. Worked a 6-pitch walk, though he didn't take any real borderline pitches.

2009 Stats:
AAA: .294-.381-.425, 5-31, 48-9

Jemile Weeks: Oakland Athletics (9). S/R. 5-10, 175. 22 yr old. Small frame that can probably get up to 185. (LH) Straight on, straight up stance with his hands held back behind him. Almost looks like Ken Griffey Jr. minus the bat wiggle. Trigger is a double step and a cocking of the bat. Shows excellent bat speed and definitely has a very good profile. Shows above average range to his right, but also has some of that Miami showmanship, as he fielded a ball up the middle and tried to flip it to Espinoza to make a play, but Espinoza wasn't ready at all.

AB's
1) F-8. Got his FB, but dropped his shoulder just a touch and flied to medium center.

2009 Stats:
A+: .312-.392-.529, 7-27, 2-1

Desmond Jennings: Tampa Bay Rays (5). R/R. 6-2, 180. 22 yr old. Medium frame that can get up to at least 205 and has a lot of projectability left. Slightly closed stance with a little crouch and holds the bat directly over his shoulder at a 15 degree angle. Has a bat wiggle and it can affect the bat plane his bat stays on.. Trigger is a stride and cocking of the bat. Good looking bat speed. Plus runner who knows how to use it, as he stole 2 bases.

AB's
1) K Swinging. Chased a high FB from Feliz.
2) 5 pitch BB. Fouled off his 2-0 fastball.
3) K Swinging. Sick Curve got him swinging from Chacin.
4) E-5. FB right down the middle that he rolled over on and chopped a routine grounder to 3B that Viciedo promptly threw high. 4.2 down the line.

2009 Stats:
AA: .318-.398-.501, 8-44, 32-5

Brett Wallace: St. Louis Cardinals (2). L/R. 6-2, 255. 22 yr old. Medium frame that looks to be maxed out. Pretty big thighs and is one ugly looking dude. Stance is open with a crouch and almost rests the bat on his shoulders, wiggling it up and down above the shoulder. Trigger is a stride to square himself up when the pitcher starts his delivery, a bigger leg kick when the pitcher is getting close to release and a slight cocking of the bat. Swung through a 2-0 fastball that he was sitting on (98 miles per hour). Shows a good ability to command the strike zone and looks for pitches he can drive early in the count. Good plan at the plate. Above average bat speed. Barely average arm for third and kind of short arms the ball to 1st. Interesting to see what will happen with him.

AB's
1) Walk. 10 pitch at bat where he fought off some good pitches from Feliz and earned it.
2) 4-pitch Walk. Nothing real exciting.

2009 Stats:
AA: .281-.403-.438, 5-16, 0-0
AAA: .303-.355-.446, 6-19, 0-1

Josh Vitters: Chicago Cubs (1). R/R. 6-3, 200. 19 yr old. Big frame that can add a little more muscle and get up to about 215 at best. Stance is slightly open and pretty straight on with him standing fairly straight up, maybe a little crouch. Has a little bat tap. Trigger is a stride and a cocking of the bat. Solid above average arm from 3B with solid mechanics.

AB's
1) 1-3. Weak grounder back to the pitcher on a 1st pitch FB.
2) 4-pitch walk. Nothing really great to swing at.

2009 Stats:
A: .316-.351-.535, 15-46, 4-0
A+: .220-.238-.317, 0-6, 0-0

Chris Carter: Oakland Athletics (6). R/R. 6-4, 225. 22 yr old. Big frame that can add a little more muscle. Slightly open stance where he stands straight up and holds the bat a little behind his back shoulder. A little bat tap action. Trigger is a stride to square himself up and a cocking of the bat. Good looking bat speed. Really struggled to hit off-speed stuff. Not too much defensive prowess and didn't show much of an effort on a throw into the baserunner to try and snag it. Looks to be a below average defender and really struggles to read hops and make adjustments.

AB's
1) L-1. Soft line drive back to the pitch on an inside fastball.
2) P-6. Was fed sliders and struggled to resist, chased 2 of the 3, with the 3rd being a pop out. Soft fly to shallow CF.
3) K swinging. Slider in and failed to check his swing against Perez.
4) 4-pitch Walk. Nothing really close to swing at.

2009 Stats:
AA: .299-.401-.504, 14-63, 9-2

Pedro Alvarez: Pittsburgh Pirates (1). L/R. 6-3, 235. 22 yr old. Big frame that can add a little more muscle and likely get up to 245. Slightly open stance with the hands held similar to Weglarz, just not as high. Fairly straight up. Trigger is a stride and a cocking of the bat and also shifts his weight back. Shows exceptional bat speed and plus-plus raw power. Can get pull happy at times, even with 2 strikes.

AB's
1) K Swinging. Well placed cutter on the outer half at Alvarez's knees from Flande.
2) Infield 1B. Medium grounder hit in the 3-4 hole. Diving play by Flores to keep it on the infield. Sweeping slider on the outside corner.

2009 Stats:
A+: .247-.342-.486, 14-55, 1-1
AA: .228-.258-.509, 4-9, 0-0

Scott Sizemore: Detroit Tigers (7). R/R. 6-0, 185. 24 yr old. Medium frame that can add a little more muscle, probably about 195. Stance is an open stance with a slight crouch. Similar to Flowers in that his elbows are tucked in, but not to as big of an extent. Moves the bat in a very small circle just above his back shoulder as he awaits the pitch. Trigger is a stride to square himself up and a cocking of the bat. Good looking bat speed and solid line drive swing.

AB's
1) 1B to LF. Changeup away that he sat back drove a hard line drive into left field by the 5-6 hole, though it was too high for either to catch if they were there.
2) K Foul Tip. Swung through a high FB, let Lo get away with one.

2009 Stats:
AA: .307-.402-.535, 9-33, 7-3
AAA: .281-.366-.483, 2-8, 3-1

Chris Heisey: Cincinnati Reds (22). R/R. 6-0, 200. 24 yr old. Medium frame that can add a lot more muscle and get up to at least 215. Fairly straight on stance with a very slight crouch. Holds his hands a little above his back shoulder and slightly in front with the bat head 45 degrees over his back shoulder. Trigger is a cocking of the bat and a stride. Very good looking swing that looks to be more gap to gap then for the fences. Chased a 2-1 FB way up and out of the zone.

AB's
1) 5-3. Medium grounder right at the 3B on a fastball middle in. 4.55 down the line.
2) K Swinging: Slider down the middle was the finishing pitch, but got himself into a hole by chasing high fastballs.

2009 Stats:
AA: .348-.427-.577, 13-40, 13-1
AAA: .365-.386-.654, 3-13, 2-0

Daryl Jones: St. Louis Cardinals (7). L/L. 5-11, 180. 22 yr old. Small frame that can probably get up to 195. Stance is fairly straight up with a slight crouch and leans back on his back leg. He holds his hands in front of his back shoulder about even with his face. It appears that his hands may rest over the inside corner of the plate. Trigger is a a cocking of the bat (which moves it back towards his body) and a stride. Swing can get long at times, but stays inside the ball very well and shows very good bat speed.

AB's
1) 1B to RF. Got a fastball on the inner third and turned on it very well, lacing a hard line drive between the 3-4 hole.

2009 Stats:
AA: .283-.367-.376, 2-27, 7-4

Tyler Flowers: Chicago White Sox (4). 6-4, 245. R/R. 23 yr old. Big frame that appears to be pretty close to being maxed out. Stance has changed a ton from high school. He has his hands back against his side almost and in on his body. He leans back and is slightly closed. He shows good bat speed and still has his insanely strong wrists. Trigger is a stride and sometimes his weight can come forward too much and he is left swinging with just his arms. Chased a 0-1 slider from Flande. Shows plus raw power.

AB's
1) Singled on a hard groundball up the middle. Fastball that Flande left towards the inside of the outer third of the plate and he didn't miss it.
2) K Swinging. Got gassed 2 straight times by Septimo with fastballs.

2009 Stats:
AA: .305-.449-.556, 13-43, 3-0

Jason Castro: Houston Astros (1). 6-3, 210. L/R. 22 yr old. Big frame that can get up to at least 225, has a ton of room to add more muscle. Slightly crouched stance with a slightly open stance, but is fairly straight up. Holds the bat a little in front of his back shoulder and at a 45 degree angle over his back shoulder. Looks fidgety at the plate and moves around a little bit as he waits for the pitcher to begin his motion. Trigger is a toe turn and a cocking of the bat. Above average bat speed and shows the ability to hit mistake pitches. Very quick release and has an above average arm.

AB's
1) Home run down the RF line. Got a hanging SL in and didn't miss it. About 345 feet.

Pop Times: 1.55 to 3rd (CS Durango at 3rd)

2009 Stats:
A+: .309-.399-.517, 7-44, 1-1
AA: .279-.323-.360, 2-7, 1-1

Jason Heyward: Atlanta Braves (2). 6-4, 220. L/L. 19 yr old. Big frame that can get up to at least 235. Has a little crouch in his slightly open stance and holds his hands behind him with the bat almost flat over his back shoulder with some bat tapping going on, though the bat head never gets low enough to touch the shoulder. Similar to Chipper Jones in his approach at the plate. Trigger is a shifting of the weight back, a stride and a cocking of the bat. A great looking line drive swing.

AB's
1) 1B to CF. Hard hit liner to CF. About 30 feet over the 2nd base side of SS. Fastball on the outer half of the plate that Heyward laced and did a great piece of hitting.
2) 4-3. Laced 1 hopper to Castro who made a nice play. FB on the outer half of the plate. 4.42 to 1st.

2009 Stats:
A+: .296-.369-.519, 10-31, 4-0
AA: .367-.444-.600, 0-9, 0-0

Mike Stanton: Florida Marlins (2). 6-5, 225. R/R. 19 yr old. Big frame that has room to get up to at least 240 if he desires. Stances is a crouched, slightly open with the bat held just in front of his back shoulder. Leans back to keep his weight back. Trigger is a stride in then stride out and a cocking of the bat. Good looking swing, though he will get in spurts where he hits a ton of pop ups.

AB's
1) F-8. Medium fly hit to CF on a FB that creeped back towards the middle of the plate.

2009 Stats:
A+: .294-.390-.578, 12-39, 2-2
AA: .217-.317-.425, 6-17, 1-1

Danny Espinosa: Washington Nationals (14). 6-0, 190. S/R. 22 yr old. Medium frame that can add a lot more muscle and get up to at least 205. Open, fairly straight up stance with the bat 45 degrees over his back shoulder. Trigger is a little bit of a leg kick stride and a cocking of the bat. Chased a 0-1 slider from Flande. Swing can get long at times. Plus arm defensively with pretty good mechanics. Plus defensively with excellent actions and soft hands.

AB's
1) K Swinging. Struck out on the 1st change Flande threw. Worked a 9 pitch at bat.
2) K Swinging. Struck out on a nasty change from Chacin. Not a good AB for him.
3) 4-3. Got his 2-0 FB and just rolled over it, grounding weakly to 2B

2009 Stats:
A+: .258-.365-.434, 9-42, 15-8

Pitchers: W-L ERA, IP-H-BB-K

Chris Tillman: Baltimore Orioles (2). 6-5, 195. R/R. 21 yr old. Big frame that can add a lot more muscle and get up to 225. Over the top release. Drop and drive delivery. Breaks hands fairly high, which puts extra stress on his shoulder. Glove comes high and covers the release point until the last second. Fastball has some run in on righties and a little sink and looks to have a little extra "oomph" to it at the end. Likes to throw his fastball to the armside corner (in on lefties, out on righties) Curveball is a big breaking 12-6 with above average depth and is sharp. It can be a strikeout pitch and it serves as his out pitch. Did not show an ability to bounce the pitch, but could throw it for a strike at hitter's knees at will. Changeup has some fade from lefties and good sink. He will throw the pitch with a 2-0 count and to righties. Change can be dead straight at times. Threw a 40 foot change that bounced and hit Weglarz, really inconsistent with it in this outing. Has solid above average command right now with his fastball and curve, but below average with his change.

1st: FB (92-96), CB (78-81), CU (81-82) - FB (Escobar)

2009 Stats:
AAA: 7-5 2.50, 86.1-72-22-88

Kyle Drabek: Philadelphia Phillies (5). 6-0. 185. R/R. 21 yr old. Small frame that can add a little more muscle and get up to maybe 195. Over the top. Arm slot can drop, flattening out his breaking pitches. Classic drop and drive delivery that is quiet with no real red flags. Fastball has some run in on righties with a little sink. Slider is a 2-7 with good bite. Changeup has some fade from lefties with a little sink, but can be flat and straight. Curveball is a 12-6 with good depth and is sharp enough to be a strikeout pitch. Showed above average command of both his fastball and curve, bounced his slider though it generated a swing and miss and left the change high and away from Durango.

2nd: FB (94-96), CB (82), SL (82), CU (84) - SL (Durango)

2009 Stats:
A+: 4-1 2.48, 61.2-49-19-74
AA: 5-0 2.70, 46.2-41-17-35

Brian Matusz: Baltimore Orioles (3). 6-5, 200. L/L. 22 yr old. Big frame that can add a ton more muscle, at least 220. Over the top release. Interesting delivery. Has a very slow leg kick that slows down his momentum from the start and then drops and accelerates through, generating max velocity. Arm action is similar to Jimenez where he brings the arm straight down without bend and then bends as he accelerates through, which I think has to put a little extra strain on his elbow. Fastball has some run in on lefties. Change is a straight change that looks just like a fastball out of his hand and is an above average pitch. Will throw changes in hitters counts and any count. Slider is a sweeping 10-4 with solid bite. Showed plus command of his fastball, working it to both corners, above average command of his change and threw his 1 slider up near the middle of the plate.

3rd: FB (92-94), CU (83-85), SL (83) - CU (Liddi), FB (Liddi)

2009 Stats:
A+: 4-2 2.16, 66.2-56-21-75
AA: 4-0 0.34, 26.1-11-6-32

Mat Latos: San Diego Padres (2). 6-6, 225. R/R. 21 yr old. Big frame that can get up to at least 240 if he so desires. His 225 looks to be a fairly light 225. Over the top release. Has a slower leg kick and separates as he begins to kick downward. Brings his arm to his hip and then begins accelerating through to fire the pitch. Generates good deception, but the arm action worries me and looks to put a lot of pressure on his shoulder. Fastball has good run in on righties with good sink. His slider is a 2-7 that is kind of slurvy, but has good downward action to it. Showed above average command of his fastball and bounced the only slider he threw on a 1-1 count.

4th: FB (94-96), SL (83) - FB (Lawrie)

2009 Stats:
A: 3-0 0.36, 25.1-10-3-27
AA: 5-1 1.91, 47-32-9-46

Daniel Duffy: Kansas City Royals (6). 6-2, 185. L/L. 20 yr old. Medium frame that can add a lot more muscle and get up to at least 205. Over the top release. Classic drop and drive delivery that is very clean throughout. Picture perfect mechanics. Kicks his stride leg out. Is more comfortable going from the wind as opposed to the stretch. FB has a little run in on lefties with some sink, but can be dead straight. Curveball is a big breaking 11-4 with above average depth, but probably isn't sharp enough to be a strikeout pitch. Can throw some hangers. Change has some fade from righties, but is a work in progress. Will throw the pitch to lefties in 3-1 counts. Showed average command of his FB-CB combo and missed on the only change he threw.

5th: FB (92-93), CB (73-74), CU (83) - FB (Durango)

2009 Stats:
A+: 6-3 3.69, 83-81-29-80

Jarrod Parker: Arizona Diamondbacks (1). 6-1, 180. R/R. 20 yr old. Medium frame that can add a little more muscle. Built kid, athletic, looks like max is about 195 for him. Over the top release. Similar to Lincecum mechanically from the stretch without a lot of the question marks. Is knee to knee from the stretch. Very smooth and generates very easy velocity. Extremely clean delivery from the stretch. Fastball has good run in on righties with a little sink. Slider is a sharp 2-7 with good late bite. Showed above average command of both his offerings.

5th: FB (95-96), SL (83)

2009 Stats:
A+: 1-0 0.95, 19-12-4-21
AA: 4-4 2.98, 63.1-63-29-61

Casey Kelly: Boston Red Sox (6). 6-3, 194. R/R. 19 yr old. Medium frame that can get up to at least 215. Fairly clean delivery where he takes a step back and takes his hands over his head and drops and drives. A lot more movement then most guys, but it is a pretty clean motion. Over the top release. Fastball has some run in on righties, but can be straight. Curveball is a power 1-7 with good depth and looks like it can be a strikeout pitch. Can throw it for strikes or bounce it. Showed above average command of both his FB and CB.

6th: FB (93-94), CB (82-83) - No Strikes Swinging.

2009 Stats:
A: 6-1 1.12, 48.1-32-9-39
A+: 1-4 3.09, 46.2-33-7-35

Trevor Reckling: Los Angeles Angels (4). 6-1, 195. L/L. 20 yr old. Medium frame that can get up to about 205, so not a ton of growth left. Is a black guy, which caught me a little off guard, as I was under the impression he was white. Classic drop and drive and he breaks his hands high, increasing both deception and stress. Over the top release. A little bit of herky jerky in his delivery with limbs moving all over the place. Fastball has good looking late run in on lefties. Change is fairly straight with some late fade from righties and left it up quite a bit. Is his preferred pitch 1-1, as he threw it in that count twice. Slider is a sharp 11-4 with above average bite and caught Castro off guard, resulting in a WP. Slider is definitely major league ready and has the potential to be a dominant out pitch. Showed above average command of his 2 pitch arsenal (FB-SL), but his change was left in the left handers batters box pretty often.

7th: FB (90-92), SL (81-82), CU (81-82) - SL (Baez)

2009 Stats:
A+: 1-2 0.95, 19-9-3-16
AA: 5-2 2.56, 81-72-45-61

Brad Lincoln: Pittsburgh Pirates (4). 6-0, 215. R/R. 24 yr old. Medium frame that looks like it is maxed out. High 3/4 release. Very quiet from the stretch with a classic drop and drive delivery. Fastball is a 2-seam with some run in on righties. CB is a sharp 12-6 with good depth and can be a strikeout pitch. Had good control of his fastball, but caught way too much of the plate consistently with it. Had average command of his FB-CB combo.

7th: FB (93-95), CB (81-82) - FB (Kang)

2009 Stats:
AA: 1-5 2.28, 75-63-18-65
AAA: 1-4 4.70, 15.1-16-8-12

DID NOT PLAY: Madison Bumgarner (Giants)

Futures Game: World

(#) in parenthesis equals ranking according to Baseball America.

Position Players:

Alcides Escobar: Milwaukee Brewers (1). 6-1, 180. R/R. 22 yr old. Medium frame that can add quite a bit more muscle and should be able to get up to 195 without losing any speed. Stance has a little crouch and is open just a touch. He twitches his elbows together as he awaits for the ball to come. His trigger is a cocking of the bat and a stride that is more of a leg kick and appears to go down right where it was initially setup. Good looking hitter with good bat speed and appears to have the ability to control the strike zone and shows some bat control. Above average arm defensively. Will look to bunt for hits and appears to be about average at it right now.


AB's
1) Infield single to catcher. Speed (4.18 to 1st) beat the throw and he moved to 2nd on a throwing error. Pitch was a curve on the inner third at his knees.
2) F-9. Pitch was a FB on the outside corner and Escobar hit it somewhat hard on a fly ball to Heyward. About 20 feet in front of the warning track.
3) 6-3. Soft grounder right at Espinosa. Curveball down and in appears to be the spot against Escobar to get him to roll over. 4.5 to 1st, was extremely slow out of the box.
4) 1B. Got a slider on the inner half at the knees and punched it up the middle. Infield single.

2009 Stats:
AAA: .296-.348-.417, 3-28, 30-7

Tyson Gillies: Seattle Mariners (20). 6-2, 190. L/R. 20 yr old. Medium frame that should be able to get up to 205 and is more of an athletic build. Stance is very similar to that of Brian Giles, though not as crouched. Hands are held a little behind his shoulder and he is slightly open. Trigger is a quick, small stride to square himself up and a little cockin of the bat. Will look to bunt for hits. Plus-plus speed and stole 2 bases in this game, once on a Matusz pick off where he beat the throw to 2nd and then stole 3rd without a throw.


AB's
1) Foul bunt (3.69 to 1st, ran hard the whole time) and then grounded out weakly to 2B (4.06 to 1st). Pitch was a fastball in and a little up.
2) Bunt single to 2B. Great bunt that was by the pitcher towards the line. No chance at getting him. (3.41 to 1st on this drag bunt)
3) 5 pitch walk. Didn't really work anything, just got walked.
4) K Looking. 2 Great SL's from Reckling that may have been off the plate, but he got the calls.

2009 Stats:
A+: .323-.431-.465, 6-26, 23-13

Alex Liddi: Seattle Mariners (UR). 6-4, 186. R/R. 20 yr old. Big frame that can add a lot more muscle. Stance is similar to that of a right handed Russell Branyan. Open stance with a little lean back on his back leg. A little bat wiggle and holds the bat about even with his back shoulder. Trigger is a stride to even himself out and then another stride to get some pop into it while he cocks the bat a touch. Can fly open at times offensively. Swung through a 1-0 change and a 3-1 fastball from Matusz. Has the look of a future middle of the order bat.


AB's
1) 5 pitch walk. Didn't get a real pitch to take the bat off his shoulder for.
2) 9 pitch walk. Very composed and didn't chase anything.
3) F-9. Weak fly out to Stanton in RF just in front of the 2B. Was a hittable FB from Parker that he just missed.


2009 Stats:
A+: .355-.401-.639, 20-75. 7-3

Rene Tosoni: Minnesota Twins (18). 6-0, 194. L/R. 23 yr old. Medium frame that can add a little more muscle and get up to 200. Stance is slightly crouched and open a touch. Hands are behind his back shoulder with a more generic bat location. Trigger is a lean back and a little stride with a cocking of the bat. Shows solid average bat speed and the ability to turn on a fastball. Pretty left handed swing.

AB's
1) 2B. Liner that bounced about midway past 1st base and was misplayed by Carter into a 2B. Not hit insanely hard.

2009 Stats:
AA: .278-.387-.480, 10-51, 6-5

Barbaro Canizares: Atlanta Braves (UR). 6-3, 240. R/R. 29 yr old. Big frame that is maxed out. Surprised he is here, as there had to be some other touted 1B prospects that would have been a better choice without big league time. Fairly straight up, straight on stance with very little movement with his bat. Trigger is a big stride and a cocking of the bat. Looked pretty bad on a changeup and looks like a hitter who will struggle against pitchers that can change speeds well. Looks like he tries to pull everything and struggles on pitches on the outside corner. Does have the ability to go the other way with 2 strikes on him.

AB's
1) Line drive single to RF. Medium hit ball that fell just in front of Jason Heyward. Pitch was a fastball on the outer third of the plate.
2) 6-4-3 DP. Fastball on the inside corner that got in on him. A medium ground ball to SS. Did not hustle out of the box at all.

2009 Stats:
AAA: .323-.387-.497, 10-47. 1-0
ATL: .235-.235-.294, 0-0, 0-0

Dayan Viciedo: Chicago White Sox (2). 5-11, 240. R/R. 20 yr old. Small frame that looks to be pretty maxed out with no visible bad weight. Stance is slightly open, fairly straight up with a little bat wiggle with his bat head being held flat over his shoulder. Trigger is a cocking of the bat and a stride. He looks like a guy who will be packing some power as he gets used to the advanced level of pitching. Error was on a bad throw and appeared to take it a little lackadaiscally.


AB's
1) 1-3. 1st pitch fastball that he got a good swing on, just hit a 1-hopper back to Kelly.
2) 2B. Got a fastball in the middle of the plate and pounded it to deep right center. Fliner liner hard that hit just shy of the warning track.

2009 Stats:
AA: .262-.301-.354, 6-47, 5-2

Jesus Montero: New York Yankees (2). 6-4, 225. R/R. 19 yr old. Big frame that can add a little more muscle, but not much. Fairly straight up stance and he is slightly open. Bat is held at about a 45 degree angle over his back shoulder. He leans back on his back leg a little bit to help him keep his weight back. As his trigger, he brings his foot to straighten himself out and then as the pitch is coming he strides and he also cocks the bat. Good quick swing that shows power to all fields (at the very least projectable power to all fields). Can get over aggressive at times. Shows a strong arm behind the plate and better fundamentals, but can be a little slow getting the ball out. A little cocking action to his throws.


AB's
1) FC 5-4. Weak groundball that he rolled over on. Pitch was a curve down at his knees and he was fooled and just tried to hit, as his bat speed was noticeably slower on that pitch. 4.73 down the line.
2) 6-3. Got a 1st pitch fastball on the outside corner that he hit a medium chopper to mid short.
4.88 down the line.


Pop Times: 1.87 (SB by Jennings)


2009 Stats:
A+: .356-.406-.583, 8-37, 0-0
AA: .287-.353-.472, 5-15, 0-0

Carlos Santana: Cleveland Indians (1). 5-11, 190. S/R. 23 yr old. Small frame that can add maybe a little more muscle, but not much, maybe 195. (LH)Similar to Weglarz with his hand placement and is a somewhat open stance with a slight crouch. His trigger is a toe tap, then another stride if he chooses to swing and a cocking of the bat. Similar to Pablo Sandoval to me with his setup. Controls his at bats very well. Strong arm behind the plate with a little cocking action that slows him down just a touch.


AB's
1) F-8. Fastball on the outer corner at his knees that he hit a medium fly out to the LCF gap.
2) 6 pitch walk. Missed some hittable pitches, but worked the walk.


Pop Times: 1.89 (to 2nd on PO)

2009 Stats:
AA: .266-.394-.494, 14-58, 0-1

Nick Weglarz: Cleveland Indians (3). 6-3, 245. L/L. 21 yr old. Big frame that is pretty maxed out and he is a big, strong dude. He looks like a linebacker as opposed to an outfielder. He has a slightly open stance with a little crouch and has both elbows up and the bat basically over his head at a 60 degree angle. Trigger is a stride to even himself up and a cocking of the bat. Shows above average bat speed and good raw power potential.


AB's
1) Hit by Pitch. Didn't lean into it or anything, just nothing he could do.
2) 5-3. Weak groundout to third on a fastball at the knees.
3) F-7. Fastball at his knees on the outside corner that he hit a fliner fly about 10 feet shy of the warning track in left (oppo).

2009 Stats:
AA: .247-.384-.471

Kyeong Kang: Tampa Bay Rays (27). 6-2, 200. L/L. 21 yr old. Medium frame that can get up to at least 220. Stance is similar to that of Matt Stairs. He is slightly open and a little straight up with his hands holding the bat almost in front of his body almost even with his back shoulder. Trigger is a cocking of the bat and a stride where the leg appears to go in a circle. Swing is similar to that of Akinori Iwamura.


AB's
1) Popped out to pitcher. Fastball was in on his hands and popped it up.

2009 Stats:
A: .278-.354-.443, 2-22, 5-2

Brett Lawrie: Milwaukee Brewers (3). 5-11, 200. R/R. 19 yr old. Small frame that can add a little more muscle, but not much. Built kid. Stance is open with a crouch and hands held in front of his back shoulder in front of his body. Think Jeff Bagwell is he was more open and not as crouched. Trigger is a cocking of the bat and a little bit of a leg kick with his stride foot coming close and then extending towards the pitcher, similar to a pitcher with a drop and drive delivery. Swing can get long and looks like the bat goes in a circular motion, definite hitch in there. He cocks the bat, and then drops it and then starts his swing, a lot of wasted motion.


AB's
1) Weak groundout to 1st. 4.18 down the line and shows good speed. Fastball on the outside corner.
2) F-7. Medium fly to Heisey in LF. Fastball on the inner third and in the middle of the inner 3rd belt high. Latos got away with one.
3) 2B. Got a change belt high on the outside corner and ripped a fliner fly to the left field warning track, just missing a wall ball.


2009 Stats:
A: .266-.351-.468, 9-44, 14-8

Wilmer Flores: New York Mets (2). 6-3, 175. R/R. 17 yr old. Big frame that can get up to at least 205. Looks extremely thin right now and is purely projectably. Stance is fairly straight and straight up. Trigger is a stride and a cocking of the bat. Looks like he could be a future stud and shows average bat speed right now. A little over aggressive, but nothing you wouldn't expect from a 17 year old. Did not run real hard out of the box. Not a hustler. Not the most agile fielder in the world and looks like he is still trying to get used to his body.


AB's
1) 4-3. Medium to slightly hard grounder hit to Young. Pitch was a fastball down at his knees on the outside corner in a 1-0 count.
2) 6-3. Medium grounder right at Espinosa for an easy 6-3.

2009 Stats:
A+: .281-.319-.358, 2-23, 1-0

Starlin Castro: Chicago Cubs (7). 6-1, 160. R/R. 19 yr old. Medium frame that can add a lot more muscle, at least to 200. Straight on stance with a very slight crouch. Has a bat wiggle to him and holds the bat over his back shoulder. Trigger is a leg kick and a cocking of the bat. Made a nice play on a hard rip at him by Heyward. Looks pretty slick with a slightly above average arm.


AB's
1) 1B on a soft groundball to the pitcher. Changeup down and well off the plate that fooled him, but used his speed to leg out a hit. 4.26 to 1st.

2009 Stats:
A+: .308-.337-.406, 3-31, 16-7

Luis Durango: San Diego Padres (UR). 5-9, 160. S/R. 23 yr old. Small frame that can get up to at least 175. (LH)Slightly open stance with a little crouch. Holds the bat over his his back shoulder at a 45 degree angle. Kind of choked up and understands his game, to hit the ball on the ground and run. Will look to bunt for hits in any count and utilizes the Rafael Furcal run up and slap swing as well. Trigger is a stride to square himself up when the pitcher begins his delivery, a stride where the heel hits the ground first (I assume to help him stay back) when the pitcher is about to release and a cocking of the bat. (RH) Fairly straight on stance where he has a slight crouch. Bat is held over his back shoulder fairly flat. Trigger is a step back, then a step forward and a cocking of the bat. Will bunt from this side as well, though he shows it early. Another guy that stole a base on a lefty pick off and just beat the ball there.


AB's
1) K Looking. Beautful FB from Drabek that started on the inner half and ran back over the inside corner.
2) Bunt 1B. Used his speed to beat Duffy to the bag by a ton. Fast Mother F****r. 3.53 from the right side, borderline unhuman.

2009 Stats:
AA: .289-.395-.329, 0-16, 28-15

Pedro Baez: Los Angeles Dodgers (13). 6-2, 195. R/R. 21 yr old. Medium frame that can get up to at least 215. Slightly crouched, fairly straight on stance. Very quiet stance and the bat just rests right above his back shoulder. Trigger is a stride and cocking of the bat. Good bat speed, but swing can get a little long. Looks to mash when ahead in the count and will be overaggressive at times. Needs to work on seeing the SL and letting it go.


AB's
1) 5-3. Grounded out weakly to Vitters on a FB on the outside corner.

2009 Stats:
A+: .283-.327-.447, 10-57, 4-1


Pitchers: W-L ERA, IP-H-BB-K

Neftali Feliz: Texas Rangers (1). 6-3, 190. R/R. 21 yr old. Big frame that can get up to at least 205 comfortably. Worked completely out of the stretch. High 3/4 release. Generates very easy velocity and doesn't look like there is much effort there at all. Can be inconsistent with his arm slot and can drop down to 3/4. Very clean classic drop and drive delivery with no real red flags from the stretch. Appears to over throw at times, causing his command to suffer and his front shoulder to fly open. Fastball has good run in on righties with some sink. SL is a 2-7 with okay bite that he isn't yet consistent with. Not a real strikeout pitch, more of a get me over type offering. Change is pretty straight with some late fade from lefties and a little late sink, but not a real good offering. 2nd one looked better, but level of fade and sink isn't good enough to be a swing and miss offering. Will throw it to lefties as an out pitch and will throw it 3-2. Average command of his fastball (but good control) and will miss in the strike zone to hitters. Slider and change command can be inconsistent, but looks to be only slightly below average.


1st: FB (97-101), SL (79-81), CU (89) - 4 FB (2 to Young, Jennings, Wallace)

2009 Stats:
AAA: 4-5 3.50, 69.1-63-28-64

Yohan Flande: Philadelphia Phillies (UR). 6-2, 170. L/L. 23 yr old. Medium frame that can add a lot more muscle and get up to at least 200. Over the top release with a classic over the top delivery as a lefty. Very quiet delivery that generates very easy velocity. Slider is a kind of flat 10-4 with solid bite. Slider is his out pitch to lefties. Will throw 3-2 sliders. Primary fastball is a cutter with good cut and shows a little sink. Slider isn't quite good enough to be an out pitch in the majors and needs to tighten it as he advances. Change is a straight change that looks like his cutter of his hand and a has a little late fade from righties. Showed above average command of his repetoire, though none were above average major league offerings yet.


2nd: Cut (90-91), SL (82-85), CU (85)-CUT (Alvarez), SL (Flowers), CU (Espinosa)

2009 Stats:
A+: 7-1 2.52, 82-72-24-67
AA: 0-1 7.07, 14-17-5-8

Francisco Samuel: St. Louis Cardinals (21). 6-2, 185. R/R. 22 yr old. Medium frame that can add a lot more muscle and get up to at least 205. Over the top release. Drop and drive delivery with a slow leg kick and then almost a little hesitation right before he fires forward. High effort delivery. Worked from the stretch. Fastball has good run in on righties with some sink. Command can be inconsistent and can spike fastballs or just miss off the plate or paint the corner. Fastball has enough run that he can't consistently throw it for a strike. Really struggles to hold runners. Slider is a 2-7 with good bite that he is able to throw at a righties ankles with precision, but struggles to throw it for a strike. It can also show one plane cutter like movement at times.

Time to Plate on Steal: 1.5 (FB), 1.5 (SL)


3rd: FB (94-97), SL (88-89) - FB (Young), SL (Carter)

2009 Stats:
AA: 3-3 4.76, 34-26-30-40

Leyson Septimo: Arizona Diamondbacks (26). 6-0, 150. L/L. 24 yr old. Small frame that can add a lot more muscle, at least to 180. Drop and drive delivery with a high 3/4 arm slot and some cocking action on the back take. Can drop his arm slot on occasion and that flattens his slider out a little. Slider is a 11-5 with above average bite. FB is a straight 4-seam that is pretty explosive. Slider is his out pitch. Change has some fade from righties with good sink. Does not show an ability to throw strikes with it, but it could be an out pitch. He showed above average command of his FB-SL combo and below average command of his change.


3rd: FB (94-96), SL (80-85), CU (85-87) - 3 FB (Heisey, Flowers 2), 2 SL (Alvarez, Heisey)

2009 Stats:
A+: 2-1 3.52, 38.1-29-26-44
AA: 0-0 0.00, 1-1-1-4 (1 game)

Jhoulys Chacin: Colorado Rockies (2). 6-3, 200. R/R. 21 yr old. Medium frame that can add a little more muscle, probably about 220. Classic drop and drive delivery. Puts a lot of pressure on his back knee, as he puts almost all his weight on his back leg. Fastball has above average run in on righties with good sink. Fastball flashes plus with excellent movement. Changeup has good late sink and some fade from lefties and is a plus pitch. Just a filthy offering that can elicit a ton of swings and misses. Very late movement to it makes the hitter commit early. Curveball is a big breaking 12-6 that is sharp enough to be a strikeout pitch. Slider is a sharp 2-7 that has similar pitch f/x to his curve, but is sharp and has good bite. Will throw back-door 3-2 sliders to lefties.


4th: FB (90-94), CU (84-86), CB (81), SL (80-82) - FB (Young), 4 CU's (he only threw 4, everyone was a swing and miss, Espinosa 2, Young, Jennings), CB (Jennings)

2009 Stats:
AA: 7-6 3.43, 94.1-84-32-80

Luis Perez: Toronto Blue Jays (17). 6-0, 205. L/L. 24 yr old. Medium frame that can add a little more muscle, probably 215 at most. 3/4 release. Quiet delivery, though it gets a little herky jerky right after separation. Starts with his foot already turned and is facing home plate. Glove breaks a little high, which adds both deception and stress to his arm. Out of the stretch, leg comes straight up. Whether that is to freeze a baserunner or not, it looks interesting as his body just hovers there for a second. SL is a sharp 10-4 with good bite and is a sweeping slider. Fastball has good run in on lefties with solid sink. Changeup falls off the table and has excellent late sink. Home run was a slider that stayed middle in for Castro to just annihlate. He showed above average command of all his offerings and just made the 1 mistake to Castro.


5th: FB (91-93), SL (80-81), CU (82-83) - FB (Jones), SL (Carter), CU (Carter)

2009 Stats:
AA: 6-6 3.18, 102-87-40-81

Chia-Jen Lo: Houston Astros (12). 5-11, 181. R/R. 23 yr old. Small frame that can probably get up to 195. Worked out of stretch. Typical Asian delivery with a slight pause at his leg kick. Generates a very good hip turn, allowing him to maximize his velocity. Over the top. Fastball has a little run in on righties with a little late sink. CB is a 12-6 with excellent late movement to it. Has above average depth and shows an ability to throw it for strikes. Threw one for a strike, then bounced or hung the others. Command can come in bunches. Threw 8 straight balls at one point. Did look like he got frustrated on the mound. Overall, he had average command of both his pitches.


6th: FB (91-95), CB (73-75) - FB (Sizemore)

2009 Stats:
A+: 1-0 1.78, 25.1-10-13-36
AA: 0-1 4.05, 13.1-13-8-13


DID NOT PLAY: Manny Baneulos (Yankees), Junichi Tazawa (Red Sox, rain delay caused him to not pitch)

Chart Observations: 7/12: STL @ CHC

1) Kyle Lohse: 96 pitches. 8 strikes swinging. 4 on Fastballs (2 in 2nd, 3rd, 5th), 3 on Sliders (1st, 2 in 5th), Changeup (1st)

• Lohse is a 6-2, 210 righty. The 30 year old has a medium frame that can add very little more muscle. He came from a high 3/4 release. His fastball is a sinker with some run in on righties and good sink and good late movement. His change has good fade from lefties with good sink. His slider is a 2-7 with okay bite. He will throw his change to righties. His curve is a big breaking 12-6 with above average depth.

1st: FB (88-91), SL (82-84), CU (82-84), CB (76)

2nd: FB (87-89), SL (82-84)

3rd: FB (86-89), SL (82-83), CU (82-83)

4th: FB (86-89), SL (83), CU (82), CB (74)

5th: FB (85-89), SL (83-85), CU (81-83)

2) Carlos Zambrano: 94 pitches. 11 strikes swinging. 4 on Fastballs (2nd, 5th, 2 in 6th), 2 on Cutters (1st, 3rd), 4 on Splitters (3 in 3rd, 4th), 1 on a Slider (5th)

• Zambrano came from a 3/4 release with a fastball that has a little sink and some run in on righties, a cutter with solid cut, a split with average dive that serves as his out pitch and he can bounce whenever he wants and a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite.

1st: FB (83-93), Split (85-87), Cut (85-91)

2nd: FB (86-91), Cut (86-89)

3rd: FB (88-93), Split (84-87), Cut (87-92)

4th: FB (84-87), Split (84-85), Cut (88-92)

5th: FB (92-95), Split (83), Cut (90-91), SL (83-85)

6th: FB (88-92), Cut (90-91)

3) Jason Motte: 6 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• He came from an over the top release with a straight 4-seam fastball.

6th: FB (93-96)

4) Todd Wellemeyer: 12 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Wellemeyer is a 6-3, 225 pound righty. The 29 year old has a medium frame that is maxed out. He came from a high 3/4 release. His fastball is a 2-seamer with run in on righties and sink and his slider is a 2-7 with good bite.

7th: FB (85-90), SL (78)

5) P.J. Walters: 29 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. Changeup (7th), Fastball (8th), Slider (8th)

• Walters is a 6-4, 200 pound righty. The 24 year old has a big frame that can get up to at least 215. He came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with a little sink, a change with good fade from lefties with sink and a 2-7 slider with solid bite. He throws a ton of changeups and will throw 3-2 changeups. A tweener who is going to need to pick up velocity or tighten his slider to be succesful.

7th: FB (86-91), CU (75-78)

8th: FB (86-90), CU (76-78), SL (76-77)

6) Sean Marshall: 14 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Cutter.

• He came from a high 3/4 release with a 11-4 curve with above average depth, a slider that is 11-4 with good bite that is a sweeping slider with a cutter that has good cut.

7th: Cut (87-91), SL (84-86), CB (73-76)

7) Carlos Marmol: 17 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• He comes from a 3/4 release with a sharp sweeping 2-8 slider with good bite and a fastball with some run in on righties.

8th: FB (93-95), SL (79-83)

8) Kevin Gregg: 11 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Slider.

• Gregg is a 6-6, 240 pound righty. The 31 year old has a big frame that can add a lot more muscle. He comes from a high 3/4 release with a fastball that has a little run in on righties and a 2-7 slider that is a big breaker with above average bite.

9th: FB (90-93), SL (79-80)

Chart Observations: 7/12: LAD @ MIL

1) Clayton Kershaw: 103 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (2 in 1st), Slider (3rd), Curveball (5th), Changeup (5th)

• Kershaw is a 6-3, 225 pound lefty. The 21 year old has a big frame that can add a little more muscle, but not much. He came from an over the top release with a classic drop and drive delivery. His fastball has some run in on lefties with a little sink. His change has good fade from righties with a little sink. His curveball is a sharp, big breaking 12-6 with excellent depth. His slider is a 10-5 pitch with good bite that is a little loopy and serves as his out pitch to lefties. He is a definite potential ace and is a good bet to reach his potential.

1st: FB (92-95), CB (71-74), CU (81-83)

2nd: FB (92-95), CB (73), CU (81)

3rd: FB (94-95), CB (71-74), SL (78-81)

4th: FB (93-94), CU (81-83)

5th: FB (92-95), CB (72-74), CU (84), SL (83)

6th: FB (93-94), CB (71)

7th: FB (90)

2) Yovani Gallardo: 93 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. 3 on Fastballs (2 in 1st, 2nd), 3 on Curveballs (2 in 1st, 4th)

• Gallardo is a 6-2, 220 pound righty. The 23 year old has a medium frame that is maxed out. He comes from an over the top release. His fastball has some run in on righties with good sink. His curveball is a sharp 12-6 with solid depth that can be a strikeout pitch. His slider is a 2-7 with good bite. His change has good fade from lefties with solid sink. He will also mix in a straight 4-seam. He is a definite potential ace and is a good bet to reach his ceiling.

1st: FB (90-94), CB (78-81), SL (85)

2nd: FB (89-93), CB (79), CU (84-85)

3rd: FB (91-93), CB (78-80), SL (85-86)

4th: FB (91-93), CB (80), SL (84-85), CU (84)

5th: FB (88-93), CB (81), SL (85-86)

3) Chris Smith: 8 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Smith came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a change with above average fade and sink from lefties and a 2-7 slider with solid bite.

6th: FB (87-89), SL (76), CU (73)

4) Mark DiFelice: 27 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. 4 Cutters, Curveball

• DiFelice came from a high 3/4 release with a change with some fade from lefties and a little sink, a fastball with some run in on righties and sink, a cutter has good cut and a little sink and a 12-6 curve with good depth.

7th: Cut (81-83), FB (87), CU (76), CB (74)

5) Hiroki Kuroda: 23 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (2 in 7th)

• Kuroda came from an over the top release and his pitches are actually distinguishable as a reliever. His slider is a 2-7 with some bite. His fastball has good run in on righties with some sink and his split has some dive.

7th: FB (90-94), SL (83-85), Split (87)

8th: FB (92-94), SL (82-83), Split (88)

6) Mitch Stetter: 17 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Stetter is a sidarmer who showed a fastball with some late run in on lefties with some sink, a sweeping 9-3 slider with good bite and a straight change with a little sink.

8th: FB (84-85), SL (77-79), CU (80)

7) James McDonald: 12 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• McDonald is a 6-5, 195 pound righty. The 24 year old has a big frame that can get up to at least 215. He comes from an over the top release. His fastball is a pretty straight 4-seam. His curveball is a sharp 12-6 with above average depth that can be a strikeout pitch. His change has above average fade from lefties with good sink.

8th: FB (91-95), CB (77), CU (75)

8) Seth McClung: 16 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• McClung came from an over the top release with a fastball with some run in on righties and a little sink, a 12-6 curve with above average depth and a sharp 2-7 slider with some bite.

9th: FB (90-97), CB (78-80), SL (85)

9) Ramon Troncoso: 21 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Curveball

• Troncoso came from an over the top release with a fastball with good run in on righties with good sink and a 12-7 curve with above average depth.

9th: FB (91-94), CB (78-81)

Chart Observations: PIT @ PHI

1) Virgil Vasquez: 48 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball (1st), Cutter (1st)

• Vasquez is a 6-3, 205 pound righty. The 27 year old has a medium frame that can get up to 215. He comes from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties with sink, a cutter with some cut and a little sink, a big breaking 12-6 curve with above average depth and a change with above average fade from lefties with sink. He had zero command in this game and he is a guy that can't be consistently pitching behind in counts. Still looks like a back of the rotation guy to me.

1st: FB (88-91), Cut (84-88), CB (71-75)

2nd: FB (86-90), CB (73), CU (79)

2) J.A. Happ: 103 pitches. 8 strikes swinging. Fastball (2nd), 5 on Cutters (1st, 2 in 2nd, 3rd, 5th), Changeup (6th)

• Happ came from an over the top release and showed a cutter that moves like a 11-5 slider with good bite that keeps moving down, a big breaking 11-5 curve with above average depth, a fastball with a little late run in on lefties and a change with some fade from righties with average sink. He will throw his change to lefties and will almost always follow a high fastball with a curveball and this seems to be his preferred method of setting up hitters. Probably a # 3 down the road.

1st: FB (89-91), Cut (82), CU (81), CB (73-75)

2nd: FB (87-92), Cut (79-83), CU (79), CB (71-72)

3rd: FB (88-90), Cut (79-81), CB (72)

4th: FB (86-90), Cut (81)

5th: FB (87-90), Cut (82-84), CU (80)

6th: FB (88-91), Cut (80-84), CU (79-84), CB (72-74)

7th: FB (89-92), Cut (80), CU (81), CB (71-73)

3) Jeff Karstens: 35 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. Fastball (3rd), Curveball (2nd), Slider (3rd)

• Karstens came from a high 3/4 release with a whipping arm action. His fastball has some run in on righties with a little sink, his curve is a big breaking 12-6 pitch with above average depth, his slider is a 1-7 that is sharp with good bite and his change has good fade from lefties with good sink.

2nd: FB (90), CB (71-73), CU (79-80)

3rd: FB (91), CB (71-73), CU (80), SL (77)

4th: FB (89-91), CB (71-73), SL (76)

5th: FB (87-92), CB (72-73)

4) Evan Meek: 11 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Cutter

• Meek came from an over the top release and showed a cutter with good cut, a straight 4-seam fastball, a 12-6 curve with average depth and a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite.

6th: Cut (90-94), FB (96), CB (81), SL (84)

5) Donald Veal: 16 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Veal is a 6-4, 230 pound lefty. The 24 year old has a big frame that is maxed out. He comes from a high 3/4 release. He showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and a 11-5 curve that starts its break early and should be easy for hitters to pick up due to that, but it would be a good pitch if it didn't do that. Don't think he will ever have the command to be a consistent major league pitcher.

7th: FB (90-93), CB (74-75)

6) Joel Hanrahan: 11 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider

• Hanrahan came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a little sink and a sharp 2-7 slider with above average bite. This was the 1st time I have seen him with his good slider and the Pirates may have made some progress with him.

8th: FB (93-95), SL (83-84)

7) Ryan Madson: 6 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Madson came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball and a cutter with good cut and some sink.

8th: FB (94-95), Cut (93)

8) J.C. Romero: 20 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 3 on Fastballs, Slider

• Romero came from a high 3/4 release and showed a 11-5 slider with good bite that can look like a CB on occasion, a fastball with late run in on lefties with good late sink and a change with good fade from righties with a little sink. He will drop down sidearm to throw fastballs on occasion.

9th: FB (91-93), SL (78-83), CU (82)

Will have more after my baseball game, including my 1st look at Clayton Kershaw this season, as well as a report on Cardinals rookie reliever P.J. Walters.

Score: 7/12 CIN @ NYM: NYM Pitchers

1) Mike Pelfrey: 115 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 3 on Fastballs (1st, 5th, 7th), Slider (5th)

• Pelfrey came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties and good sink, a 2-7 slider with some bite and a curve that is just a little slower and has okay depth.

1st: FB (90-94), SL (83-84)

2nd: FB (90-93), SL (83-84), CB (76)

3rd: FB (91-94), SL (82)

4th: FB (90-93), SL (81-83)

5th: FB (88-94), SL (81-87), CB (78)

6th: FB (91-94), SL (84), CB (77)

7th: FB (91-94), SL (80)

2) Sean Green: 9 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Green is a sidearming righty who showed a fastball with good run in on righties with good sink and a frisbee 3-8 slider with good bite.

8th: FB (88-91), SL (73-75)

3) Pedro Feliciano: 7 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Feliciano is a sidearming lefty who showed a fastball with a little late run in on lefties and a cutter with some cut and sink.

8th: FB (86-89), Cut (81)

4) Bobby Parnell: 23 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs.

• Parnell came from an over the top release and showed a 2-7 slider with some bite and a fastball with a little run in on righties.

8th: FB (95-99), SL (85-89)

5) Francisco Rodriguez: 24 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 on Changeups, Fastball.

• K-Rod came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a change with excellent dive and a big breaking 12-6 curve with good depth.

9th: FB (90-95), CB (80), CU (83-89)

Score: 7/12 CIN @ NYM: CIN Pitchers

1) Aaron Harang: 74 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. 3 on Sliders (2 in 2nd, 3rd), Fastball (3rd), Changeup (3rd)

• Harang is a 6-7, 260 pound righty. The 31 year old has a big frame that is maxed out. He comes from an over the top release. His fastball has some run in on righties with good sink. His change moves like a fastball with more sink. His slider is a 2-7 pitch with good bite while his curve is a 12-6 big breaker with good depth. Would say he is a # 3 starter.

1st: FB (86-90), SL (78-80), CU (79)

2nd: FB (86-90), SL (80-83), CU (79-81)

3rd: FB (86-92), SL (78-84), CU (80-83), CB (72-73)

2) Josh Roenicke: 26 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Cutter.

• He came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a little sink and a cutter with solid cut that can move like a 2-7 slider at times.

4th: FB (92-95), Cut (84-87)

3) Danny Ray Herrera: 2 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Herrera is a 5-6, 165 pound lefty. The 24 year old has a small frame that can add a little more muscle. He comes from a 3/4 release with a 9-4 slider with good bite and a fastball with some run in on lefties. Solid LOOGY, but more of a # 2 lefty in a pen.

4th: FB (80), SL (73)

4) Robert Manuel: 39 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball (5th)

• Manuel is a 6-3, 205 pound righty. The 26 year old has a big frame that can get up to at least 220. He come from over the top with a little herky jerk release. He separates hands quickly and seems to try and put his lead leg on the ground as fast as possible. His fastball has a little run in on righties. His change has good sink and a little fade from lefties. His slider is a 2-7 with some bite. Extra (4-A) arm.

5th: FB (84-87), SL (81), CU (76-82)

6th: FB (84-87), SL (78-81), CU (79-82)

5) Dave Weathers: 19 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Weathers came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a changeup with good fade from lefties with sink and a 2-7 slider with solid bite.

7th: FB (86-89), SL (82-83), CU (83-84)

6) Nick Masset: 5 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Masset came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and quickly dispatched the Mets in the 8th.

8th: FB (92-96)

Chart Observations: CLE @ DET

1) Carl Pavano: 101 pitches. 9 strikes swinging. 5 on Fastballs (1st, 2 in 4th, 5th, 6th), 3 on Sliders (3rd, 4th, 5th) and a Changeup (2nd)

• Pavano came from an over the top release and showed a 2-seam fastball with good sink and run in on righties, a 2-7 slider with good bite and a change with excellent fade from lefties with above average sink. Can over throw the change at times and may mix in a hard splitter as well (to account for some changes thrown in the 87-88 range).

1st: FB (88-91), CU (81-83)

2nd: FB (89-92), CU (80-82)

3rd: FB (89-92), CU (82-84), SL (85-87)

4th: FB (91-93), CU (80-87), SL (85)

5th: FB (91-93), CU (88), SL (84-86)

6th: FB (90-92), CU (80-83), SL (82-85)

7th: FB (89-90), CU (79-80), SL (84)

8th: FB (88-90), CU (81-85), SL (82-83)

2) Kerry Wood: 14 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Wood came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball, a cutter with okay cut and some sink and a big breaking 12-6 curve with good depth.

9th: FB (93-98), Cut (88-91), CB (79)

3) Armando Galarraga: 103 pitches. 8 strikes swinging. 6 on Sliders (2nd, 3rd, 2 in 4th, 2 in 6th), a Changeup (3rd) and Fastball (2nd)

• He came from a 3/4 release and showed a 2-seam fastball with some run in on righties and a little sink, a 2-7 slider with some bite and a change with some fade from lefties and sink. His slider is his out pitch. He is no better then a back of the rotation starter.

1st: FB (85-92), SL (84-87), CU (84-87)

2nd: FB (89-92), SL (82-88), CU (86-87)

3rd: FB (87-92), SL (82-87), CU (85-87)

4th: FB (89-92), SL (82-86)

5th: FB (86-89), SL (85), CU (84-86)

6th: FB (91-92), SL (82-87), CU (82-86)

7th: FB (88-91), SL (85-87), CU (84-87)

4) Fu Te Ni: 12 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Ni is a 6-0, 170 pound lefty. The 26 year old has a medium frame that can add a little more muscle. He comes from a 3/4 release with a slinging arm action. His fastball has good late run in on lefties. His change has some fade from righties with good sink. His slider is a loopy 11-4 with solid bite. His FB/CU and SL come out of his hand differently, as the FB/CU moves towards the plate 1st and his slider moves up a tad first. Extra arm.

7th: FB (89-90), SL (79), CU (80)

8th: FB (90-91), SL (76-79)

5) Freddy Dolsi: 26 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Changeup (9th)

• Dolsi came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties, a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite and a change with above average fade from lefties with a little sink. He struggles to find the release point for his slider, throwing one 40 feet then throwing the next at a righties head. Dolsi has good control, but below average command, constantly missing spots.

8th: FB (94-96), SL (84-88), CU (87)

9th: FB (93-95), SL (85), CU (86-88)

Score Observation (7/11): KC @ BOS: BOS Pitchers

1) John Smoltz: 97 pitches. 9 strikes swinging. 7 on Sliders (1st, 2 in 3rd, 4th, 3 in 5th), Fastball (2nd), Splitter (2nd)

• Smoltz is a 6-3, 220 pound righty. The 42 year old has a big frame that is maxed out. He comes from a high 3/4 release. His fastball has some run in on righties. His slider is a sharp 2-7 will good bite that is very tight. His splitter has okay dive. He struggled to command his fastball in the zone. His slider is back to where it was with the Braves, as was his fastball velocity, he just needs a little more fine tuning.

1st: FB (91-94), SL (86-88), Split (86-87)

2nd: FB (91-92), SL (83-87), Split (86)

3rd: FB (91-93), SL (85-87)

4th: FB (91-93), SL (84-86), Split (86-87)

5th: FB (90-92), SL (83-86), Split (86)

2) Justin Masterson: 25 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Masterson came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with sink and a loopy 3-8 slider he uses as a get-me over pitch and a sharper one as a strikeout pitch. He battled his command and left quite a few sliders and sinkers over the middle of the plate.

6th: FB (90-96), SL (82-87)

3) Manny Delcarmen: 10 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Delcarmen came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a change with some late fade from lefties with sink and a 12-6 curve with okay depth.

6th: FB (91-96), CU (80), CB (78)

4) Hideki Okajima: 23 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball (7th)

• Okajima came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties, a sharp 12-6 curve with solid depth and a split with okay dive. Gets by on deception more then stuff now.

6th: FB (88-89), CB (77)

7th: FB (88-89), CB (76-77), Split (83-84)

5) Daniel Bard: 30 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 3 on Fastballs (3 in 8th) and a Slider (7th)

• Bard came from a high 3/4 and showed a pretty straight 4-seam fastball and a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite.

7th: FB (98-99), SL (84-85)

8th: FB (96-99), SL (85-86)

6) Takashi Saito: 10 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider

• Saito came from a high 3/4 release and showed a 2-7 slider with solid bite, a fastball that was pretty straight and a split with some dive.

9th: FB (92-93), SL (82-83), Split (89)

Score Observations (7/11) KC @ BOS: KC Pitchers

1) Gil Meche: 87 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 2 on Curveballs (2nd, 3rd), Cutter (1st), Changeup (2nd)

• Meche is a 6-3, 215 pound righty. The 30 year old has a medium frame that can add a little more muscle. He comes from a high 3/4, almost over the top release. His fastball has some run in on righties. His curve is a 1-7 with good depth. His cutter has good cut and some sink. His chnage has some fade from lefties with sink. His curve is sharp and can be an out pitch. His main issue right now is command, as he is just leaving too many pitches in the middle of the plate (especially the cutter) and his defense is failing to help him.

1st: FB (93-95), Cut (88-90), CU (86), CB (77-80)

2nd: FB (94-96), Cut (89-91), CU (87-89), CB (71-81)

3rd: FB (91-94), Cut (87-89), CU (87), CB (79)

4th: FB (91-92), Cut (84-85), CU (81), CB (71-78)

2) Ron Mahay: 34 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 3 on Changeups (2 in 4th, 5th), Fastball (4th)

• Mahay came from an over the top release and showed a change with some fade from righties and sink that he will throw to lefties, a fastball with some run in on lefties and a 11-4 slider with late bite.

4th: FB (90-91), CU (84-85)

5th: FB (90-92), CU (85-86), SL (84)

6th: FB (90-92), CU (85-86)

3) Jamey Wright: 32 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Wright came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a sharp 12-7 curve with good depth and a cutter with some cut and sink.

7th: FB (91-94), Cut (88-89), CB (79-80)

4) Roman Colon: 39 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. 3 on Sliders (7th, 2 in 8th), 2 on Fastballs (7th, 8th)

• Colon came from an over the top release with a straight 4-seam fastball and a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite. His splitter had okay dive.

7th: FB (94-96), SL (82-84)

8th: FB (94-96), SL (81-84), Split (88)

Chart Observations: CHW @ MIN

1) John Danks: 114 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. Fastball (1st), 2 Cutters (2 in 1st), 2 Changeups (3rd, 6th), Curveball (6th)

• Danks came from a high 3/4 release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball, a change with good late fade and sink, a cutter with good cut that moves a little like a 11-4 slider and a sharp 11-4 curve with good depth. His command wasn't as good as it has been. He will throw the change to lefties.

1st: FB (88-92), Cut (86-89), CU (81-83)

2nd: FB (89-91), Cut (84-86), CU (82), CB (76)

3rd: FB (88-91), Cut (86), CU (82), CB (76-77)

4th: FB (88-90), Cut (83-88), CU (81), CB (75)

5th: FB (88-90), CU (81), CB (73-75)

6th: FB (91), Cut (83-85), CU (80-83), CB (75-76)

2) Nick Blackburn: 99 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 2 on Fastballs (2nd, 6th) and 2 on Cutters (3rd, 4th)

• Blackburn came from a high 3/4 release and showed a 2-seam fastball wtih good run in on righties and good sink, a cutter with good cut that flashes movement similar to a 2-7 slider, a big breaking 12-6 curve with good depth and a change with some fade from lefties with sink that he will throw to righties.

1st: FB (90-92), Cut (86)

2nd: FB (89-92), Cut (84-86), CB (77)

3rd: FB (87-93), Cut (85-88), CB (78), CU (82-84)

4th: FB (89-90), Cut (83-86), CB (76), CU (82-83)

5th: FB (89-92), Cut (86), CB (77-78), CU (82-83)

6th: FB (89-92), Cut (83-85), CB (82), CU (81-82)

7th: FB (90-91), Cut (86-87), CB (80), CU (81)

3) Octavio Dotel: 9 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider (6th)

• Dotel came from a 3/4 release and showed a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite, a sharp 1-7 curve with good depth and a fastball with late life with cutting action or running action with sink.

6th: FB (93), SL (80-82)

7th: FB (90-92), CB (78)

4) Matt Thornton: 13 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Thornton came from an over the top release with a straight 4-seam fastball and a 11-4 slider with good bite.

7th: FB (94-97), SL (83)

5) Bobby Jenks: 15 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs.

• Jenks came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righteis with sink and a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite.

8th: FB (93-95), SL (89)

6) Matt Guerrier: 10 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Guerrier came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a big breaking 12-6 curve with above average depth and a 2-7 slider with good bite.

8th: FB (92-93), SL (85-87), CB (78)

7) Joe Nathan: 17 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Nathan came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a 12-6 curve with good depth and a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite.

9th: FB (91-94), SL (88-89), CB (81-82)

Chart Observations: LAD @ MIL: MIL Pitchers

1) Braden Looper: 98 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 2 on Sliders (1st, 4th) and 2 on Splitters (2 in 1st)

• Looper came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a little sink, a split with great dive and a 2-7 slider with good bite.

1st: FB (90-92), Split (83-86), SL (85-87)

2nd: FB (87-90), Split (82-85), SL (85-86)

3rd: FB (88-90), Split (82-85), SL (84)

4th: FB (88-90), Split (84), SL (84-87)

5th: FB (88), Split (82-83), SL (84-85)

6th: FB (87-89), Split (82-84), SL (83-85)

2) Chris Smith: 6 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Smith came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a 2-7 slider with good bite.

7th: FB (87), SL (76-77)

3) Mitch Stetter: 5 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Stetter is a sidearming lefty who showed a fastball with some late run in on lefties and a sweeping 9-3 slider with good bite.

7th: FB (86), SL (78-80)

4) Mark DiFelice: 14 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Cutters

• DiFelice came from a 3/4 release and showed a cutter with good cut that he could locate to both sides of the plate.

8th: Cut (82-84)

5) Trevor Hoffman: 8 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Hoffman came from an over the top release and showed a change with good fade from lefties and above average sink, a 1-7 slider with okay bite and a fastball that had a little run in on righties.

9th: FB (85-86), CU (73), SL (79-80)

6) Carlos Villanueva: 26 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Changeup.

• Villanueva came from an over the top release and showed a big breaking 12-6 curve with good depth, a fastball with some run in on righties, a change with good fade from lefties with sink and a sharp 2-7 slider with bite. He will throw his change to righties,

10th: FB (87-90), CU (82-84), SL (80-82), CB (72)

7) Seth McClung: 7 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• McClung came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a 12-6 curve with good depth.

10th: FB (92-96), CU (85), CB (79) * CU was spiked, so no idea on how it moved yesterday.

Chart Observations: LAD @ MIL: Dodgers Pitchers

1) Chad Billingsley: 110 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 2 Cutters (1st, 5th), 2 Curveballs (2nd, 5th)

• Billingsley came from an over the top release with a fastball with some run in on righties, a big breaking 12-6 curve with good depth, a cutter with good cut and the slider is a sharp 2-7 with good late bite.

1st: FB (89-92), CB (78-79), Cut (88-91)

2nd: FB (88-93), CB (77-78), Cut (87), SL (86)

3rd: FB (91-93), CB (77-79), Cut (88)

4th: FB (88-93), CB (78), Cut (87-88)

5th: FB (90-92), CB (68-79), Cut (86-89), SL (82)

6th: FB (91-93), CB (81), Cut (88-91), SL (85)

2) Guillermo Mota: 6 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Mota came from a 3/4 release with a fastball with good run in on righties, a flat slider and a change with good fade from lefties with sink that he will throw to righties.

6th: FB (94-95), SL (87), CU (85)

3) Cory Wade: 13 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Wade came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties and a big breaking 12-6 curve with good depth that served as his out pitch.

7th: FB (90-92), CB (74-76)

4) Brent Leach: 8 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Leach came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and a 11-4 curve with good depth.

8th: FB (92-93), CB (77-79)

5) Ramon Troncoso: 22 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (9th)

• Troncoso came from an over the top release with a fastball with good run in on righties with good sink and a power 1-7 curve with good depth.

8th: FB (91-92)

9th: FB (91-93), CB (76-79)

6) Jonathan Broxton: 28 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Broxton is a 6-4, 295 pound man child. The 25 year old righty has a big frame that is maxed out and shockingly doesn't seem to have any bad weight there. He came from an over the top release. His fastball has some late run in on righties and his slider is a sharp 2-7 with above average bite. One of the best (and unknown) closers in baseball.

10th: FB (95-99), SL (88-89)

Inter-Divison Swap

The Braves dealt Jeff Francouer to the Mets for Ryan Church.

Braves Side: Church is your prototypical Braves OF. He hits for no power, but for average (.280-.332-.375), but the move to Turner Field may actually help him hit for a little more (which is the 1st time I think that can be said of a hitter). Church has apparently graded out about even with Francouer defensively, but Frenchy has much better tools. Surprised this was all the return they could get. Church is solid, but is not the solution to the Braves problems even a little bit. Matt Diaz will be returning to a platoon role in right, likely with Church.

Mets Side: Francouer is an enigma. He isn't hitting for power and now goes to maybe the toughest ball park for home runs on the east coast. If he can hit gaps consistently, this could be a good move for him. He is hitting .250-.282-.352 on the season. He obviously still has potential and getting away from his hometown could be good for him. Francouer will likely get a shot as the everyday RF, as neither Tatis, Martinez or Sheffield will be playing there and Reed's stick is even worse.

Analysis: Braves didn't really get what there team needs and made a bad position a little bit below average instead. The Mets are making a reactionary move based off of injuries (Minaya quote: We really like the # of games Francouer plays) and are hoping to see him turn it around in a new place. I don't think there is a winner here. The Braves took all the risk and couldn't even get the Mets to throw in a Low-A arm or bat as a developmental guy. If Frenchy turns it around, this would be a steal for the Mets.

TCL 7, BML 1

We won 7-1. I started at 2B and led off, going 1-3. Next game is Sunday against Cetronia.

Betancourt to Royals

The Mariners traded Yuniesky Betancourt to the Royals for Dan Cortes and Derrick Saito.

Royals Side: Yes, the Royals need a SS. But, what makes Betancourt such a good option? Betancourt has zero plate discipline (fitting right in with the Royals) and his defense has been over hyped. This year, he is hitting .250-.278-.330 with 10 walks and 18 strikeouts. His offensive package is terrible. He is no better then some of the other guys they have run out there (Luis Hernandez could put up those numbers).

Mariners Side: The Mariners deal a player that had fallen out of favor and get a couple of upside arms. Cortes is in AA and while his newspaper #'s are good (6-6, 3.92), his peripherals aren't (80.1 IP, 50 BB, 57 K). Saito is in Low-A and is a lefty reliever who is 2-6, 4.15, but has potential based on 15 BB and 53 K in 52 IP. Two arms that may or may not turn into something.

Overall: I like this deal for the Mariners. They get rid of a player they didn't like and get a guy who is going to pitch in the majors at some point (Cortes) and a lefty reliever who has some potential. The Royals need to find a guy who will draw walks at some point to have a shot at having a decent offense.

Schedule to the All-Star Break

Today: Tri-Co All Star Game
7/11: 2 Charts, KC @ BOS (Meche vs. Smoltz) Sweet
7/12: Chart, CIN @ NYM (Harang vs. Pelfrey) Okay
7/13: 2 Charts

Hopefully my updates will come more on time rather then sporadically, but no promises.

Score Observations (Yesterday): TEX @ SEA

1) Tommy Hunter: 104 pitches. 7 strikes swinging. 4 on Fastballs (3rd, 3 in 6th), 2 Changeups (1st, 3rd) and a Curveball (2nd)

• Hunter came from an over the top release and showed a 2-seam fastball with good run in on righties and sink, a cutter with good cut and sink, a power 12-6 curve with good depth that serves as his out pitch and a change with some fade from lefties with sink. Hunter will also throw a get-me over CB in the high 70's. He didn't have great command of the power curve last night, but threw his cutter to both corners well and showed a better change then his last outing. He just looks like a bulldog on the mound and I am a fan.

1st: Cut (90-93), FB (90-92), CB (77-82), CU (84)

2nd: Cut (89-91), FB (91-92), CB (79-82), CU (83)

3rd: Cut (89-91), FB (90-91), CB (81), CU (82-84)

4th: Cut (88-91), FB (90-92), CB (77-81)

5th: Cut (88-90), FB (89), CB (77-81), CU (82-83)

6th: Cut (89-90), FB (90-91), CB (78-81), CU (81)

2) Felix Hernandez: 112 pitches. 15 strikes swinging. 4 on Fastballs (2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th), 3 on Changeups (3rd, 4th, 8th), 5 on Sliders (4th, 2 in 6th, 2 in 8th), 3 on Curveballs (3rd, 5th, 8th) (Is there a more dominant repetoire in baseball?)

• Hernandez came from a high 3/4, almost over the top release. His fastball has good run in on righties with some sink. His change has some fade from lefties. His slider is a 2-7 with good bite. His curve is a big breaking 12-6 with good depth. His change is his main offspeed pitch and will throw it to righties. Absolutely dominant, as the only run he allowed scored on a wild pitch.

1st: FB (94-97), SL (88), CU (89)

2nd: FB (94-96), SL (87-89), CU (90-91), CB (84)

3rd: FB (94-96), SL (88), CU (89-90), CB (79)

4th: FB (94-96), SL (86-89), CU (89-91)

5th: FB (94-97), CB (81-82)

6th: FB (93-97), SL (88-89), CU (88-92), CB (83)

7th: FB (94-96), CU (90)

8th: FB (93-96), SL (86-88), CU (89-91), CB (81)

3) Darren O'Day: 10 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• O'Day is a sidearming righty whose fastball has good run in on righties and his slider is a 9-3 pitch with good bite.

7th: FB (85-88), SL (78-79)

4) C.J. Wilson: 28 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs.

• Wilson came from a high 3/4 release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball that had very little run in on lefties, a 11-4 slider with good bite, a cutter with good cut in on righties and a change with some fade from righties with sink.

8th: FB (93-96), Cut (91), SL (85-89), CU (86)

5) David Aardsma: 6 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Aardsma came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball.

9th: FB (93-95)

Chart Observations (7/8 Game): LAD @ NYM

1) Hiroki Kuroda: 91 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (2nd, 5th), Slider (3rd)

• Kuroda came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a slider and split that are indistinguishable.

1st: FB (88-94), SL (83-85), Split (84-86)

2nd: FB (92-95), SL (80-81), Split (86)

3rd: FB (91-94), SL (80-84)

4th: FB (88-94)

5th: FB (90-94), SL (84), Split (86)

2) Oliver Perez: 108 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Sliders (1st, 2nd)

• Perez is a 6-3, 210 pound lefty. The 27 year old has a medium frame that can add a little more muscle. He comes from a 3/4 release. His fastball has some run in on righties. His slider is a 10-4 pitch with good bite and his change has some fade from righties with a little sink. He has absolutely zero idea where the ball is going.

1st: FB (89-93), SL (76-80), CU (85)

2nd: FB (86-93), SL (77-79)

3rd: FB (89-93), SL (76-79)

4th: FB (87-92), SL (77-81)

5th: FB (90-93), SL (78-81)

3) Cory Wade: 17 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Wade came from an over the top release with a fastball with some run in on righties, a change with good fade and sink from lefties and a 12-6 curve with good depth.

5th: FB (90-91), CB (75-78), CU (79)

4) Bobby Parnell: 31 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball (6th), Slider (6th)

• Parnell came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a 2-7 slider with good bite and a change with some fade from lefties with sink.

6th: FB (93-97), SL (85-88), CU (88-89)

7th: FB (95-98), SL (86-89)

5) Guillermo Mota: 18 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider (6th)

• Mota came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a 2-7 slider with good bite and a change with good fade from lefties and sink.

6th: FB (94-95), SL (87-88), CU (84-85)

7th: FB (95), SL 86-87)

6) Pedro Feliciano: 3 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Feliciano is a sidearming lefty who showed a fastball with a little run in on lefties and a cutter with solid cut.

7th: FB (88), Cut (81)

7) Brent Leach: 7 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs.

• Leach came from a high 3/4 release with a fastball with some run in on lefties and a 11-5 curve with good depth.

7th: FB (91-93), CB (75-76)

8) Sean Green: 12 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Green is a sidearming righty who showed a sweeping 3-8 slider with good bite, a fastball with above average run in on righties and a change with good fade from lefties with sink.

8th: FB (88-90), SL (73-75), CU (82)

9) Ramon Troncoso: 17 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Troncoso came from a high 3/4 release with a 2-seam fastball with good run in on righties and a sharp 1-7 curve.

8th: FB (90-93), CB (78-79)

10) Francisco Rodriguez: 16 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Changeups.

• K-Rod came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball, a 12-6 curve with good depth and a change with excellent dive.

9th: FB (92-94), CB (81), CU (82-87)

Chart Observations (7/8): CIN @ PHI

Picked up this extra chart on the day of, so that is the reason I chose not to update last night (that and the fact I played tennis, but the above sounded more professional)

1) Homer Bailey: 95 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. 4 on Fastballs (2nd, 4th, 2 in 5th), 2 Sliders (3rd, 5th)

• Bailey is a 23 year old who stands 6-3, 210. The righty has a medium frame that can get up to 220. He comes from an over the top release with a little Ubaldo Jimenez like arm action where he likes to straighten the arm on the backtake, but fairly quiet delivery. He throws 2 different types of fastballs, a 4-seam that is fairly straight and a 2-seam that can flash above average run in on righties with some sink, but it can flatten out. His curve is a big breaking 12-6 with good depth. His split has some dive, but can look more like a straight change and it served as his out pitch to lefties early until he realized it literally wasn't moving... His slider is a hard, sharp 2-7 with solid bite. Bailey will never reach the expectations he has had, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility for him to be a middle of the rotation guy. He threw all 3 of his off-speed pitches between 5 and 10 % of the time and will always rely on his fastball, which he had good command of. I think he will be an above average # 3 starter in about 3 or 4 years.

1st: FB (91-95), CB (76-78), Split (87)

2nd: FB (92-96), CB (76), SL (86)

3rd: FB (92-95), SL (85-86), Split (86-89)

4th: FB (91-96), CB (76), SL (85-87), Split (86-89)

5th: FB (94-96), CB (78-79), SL (86-88), Split (89-90)

6th: FB (90-96), CB (76-77), SL (86-88)

2) Rodrigo Lopez (He's Back!): 69 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. Fastball (4th), 2 on Sliders (1st, 2nd)

• Lopez is a 6-1, 185 pound righty. The 33 year old has a medium frame that can get up to at least 200. He comes from a high 3/4 release. His fastball has some run in on righties. His change has some fade from lefties with some sink. His slider is a 2-7 with some bite. His cutter has some cut that he can throw to either corner, but prefers to throw it in on the hands of lefties. He will throw his change to righties. Won't kill you in the NL as a 5th starter.

1st: FB (86-90), CU (83-84), SL (81-84), Cut (89)

2nd: FB (88-91), CU (85), SL (80-84), Cut (88-91)

3rd: FB (86-91), SL (80), Cut (89)

4th: FB (86-91), CU (83-84), SL (81-82), Cut (88-89)

5th: FB (82-84) *left the game following this inning due to an injury and his arm speed was noticeably slower.

3) Chad Durbin: 32 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Cutters (6th, 7th)

• Durbin came from a high 3/4 release and showed a cutter with good cut and sink, a 2-seam fastball with good run in on righties, a sharp 12-6 curve with good depth and a change with good fade from lefties with a little sink.

6th: FB (89-92), Cut (87-89), CB (77), CU (80)

7th: FB (89-93), Cut (86-89), CB (77-78), CU (80)

4) J.C. Romero: 3 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Romero came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good late run in on lefties.

7th: FB (90-91)

5) Nick Masset: 15 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. Fastball, 4 Splitters.

• Masset is a 6-4, 235 pound righty. The 27 year old has a big frame that is maxed out. He comes from an over the top release. His fastball has good run in on righties with good sink. His splitter has above average dive and is a late breaking pitch. I am a huge fan of him and think he can be utilized similar to Scot Shields was with the Angels.

7th: FB (93-96), Split (88-90), SL (86)

6) Arthur Rhodes: 29 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 3 Sliders.

• Rhodes is a 6-2, 210 pound lefty. The 39 year old has a medium frame that can add a little more muscle. He comes from a high 3/4 release with a straight 4-seam fastball and a 11-5 slider with good bite. Solid lefty setup man.

8th: FB (91-93), SL (80-84)

7) Dave Weathers: 28 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider (8th)

• Weathers is a 6-3, 240 pound righty. The 39 year old has a medium frame that is maxed out. He comes from a high 3/4 release. He showed a 2-7 slider with good bite, a 4-seam fastball with a little run in on righties and a change with good fade from lefties and solid sink. Another solid set-up guy.

8th: FB (89-90), SL (83-85)

9th: FB (87-90), SL (82-85), CU (85-86)

8) Ryan Madson: 17 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Madson came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball, a cutter with good cut and a change with good fade from lefties with good sink.

8th: FB (96-98), CU (84-85), Cut (93)

9th: FB (94-96), CU (83), Cut (90-93)

Score Observations: TOR @ TB (7/8 Game)

1) Brian Tallet: 84 pitches. 8 strikes swinging. Fastball (3rd), Slider (4th), 2 Cutters (2nd), 4 Changeups (2 in 2nd, 2 in 3rd)

• Tallet comes from a high 3/4 release and shows a fastball with some run in on lefties, a change with some sink and a little fade from righties that looks like a fastball out of his hand and serves as his out pitch, a cutter with some cut that he likes to throw in on the hands of righties and a 10-4 slider with good bite. Solid back of the rotation guy.

1st: FB (87-89), Cut (87-88), CU (82-84)

2nd: FB (87-89), Cut (85-87), CU (82-84)

3rd: FB (86-89), Cut (85-86), CU (81-86), SL (79-80)

4th: FB (85-87), CU (80), SL (77)

2) Scott Kazmir: 107 pitches. 8 strikes swinging. 3 on Fastballs (1st, 4th, 5th), 4 on Sliders (2 in 2nd, 2 in 5th) and a Changeup (1st)

• Kazmir came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and a little sink, a change with some fade from righties and sink and a 11-5 slider with solid bite that serves as his out pitch.

1st: FB (89-92), SL (82), CU (79-81)

2nd: FB (90-92), SL (81-82), CU (78-80)

3rd: FB (90-91), SL (80)

4th: FB (89-92), SL (80-82), CU (79-82)

5th: FB (89-92), SL (81-82), CU (79-82)

6th: FB (89-92), SL (81-82), CU (80-81)

7th: FB (90-91), SL (82), CU (76-78)

3) Dirk Hayhurst: 44 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Changeup (4th)

• Hayhurst came from an over the top release and is your typical 4 pitch long reliever. He features a fastball with good run in on righties and good sink, a big breaking 12-6 curve with good depth, a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite and a change with some fade from lefties and good sink that he will throw to righties. His curve serves as his out pitch. Seems to have the stuff to be a back of the rotation starter (not in the AL East) but is a guy I would target as an NL team in need of a guy to take a chance on.

4th: FB (88-89), CB (74-75), SL (80-82), CU (77-79)

5th: FB (88-89), SL (79-81), CU (77)

6th: FB (88-89), CB (74), SL (79-81), CU (78-79)

4) Grant Balfour: 18 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Balfour came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball, though it flashes run in on righties and a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite. He fell behind often and was constantly 2-0 and had to throw cockshot fastballs.

7th: FB (91-93), SL (86-87)

5) Jesse Carlson: 28 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Carlson is a sidearming lefty who showed a fastball with good late run in on lefties and a sweeping 11-5 slider with solid bite that serves as his out pitch.

7th: FB (87-88), SL (79-82)

6) Chad Bradford: 8 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider

• Bradford is a sidearming righty with a fastball with some run in on righties with some sink and a slow 3-9 slider with good bite. The Rays gun had him at 98. Then Chad Bradford was accused of bribing the radar gun. Litigation is in progress.

8th: FB (77-79), SL (65-67)

7) Randy Choate: 9 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Choate is a sidearming lefty with a fastball with some run in on lefties and a 9-4 slider with good bite.

8th: FB (87-89), SL (77-78)

8) Joe Nelson: 5 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Changeup.

• Nelson came from a 3/4, almost high 3/4 release. His fastball has some run in on righties while his vulcan change is his main pitch and has good fade from lefties with solid sink and he will throw it to righties.

8th: FB (85-89), CU (78)

9) Jason Frasor: 43 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. Fastball (8th), 2 Sliders (8th, 9th), 2 Splitters (8th, 9th)

• Frasor came from an over the top release and showed a fastball that is a pretty straight 4-seam, a 2-7 slider with good bite and a split with above average late dive. He will throw either of his off-speed pitches in a 3-2 count with something taken off.

8th: FB (91-93), SL (79-84), Split (83-87)

9th: FB (91-93), SL (81), Split (83-85)

10) J.P. Howell: 14 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball

• Howell comes from an over the top release, almost high 3/4. His change is a straight change with some sink. He also throws a fastball with some run in on lefties and good sink and a 11-4 curve with good depth. He has great command and will throw any pitch in any count.

9th: FB (84-85), CU (77-80), CB (81-82)

11) Scott Downs: 10 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Downs came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and a curve that is a sharp 11-5 with good depth.

9th: FB (89-90), CB (76-77)

This was a 4-hour 9 inning game. Good for my paycheck.