While I’ve been lagging on ideas lately, or having big ideas and not finding the time to tackle them. So for in the mean time, I hope you all don’t mind a Winter Ball update to tide you over for now-
Jose Martinez has been mostly regulated to the utility infielder role for Aragua, a role he may need to get used to according to some scouting reports. In 76 at bats, he’s put up a .276/.310/.434 line. He’ struck out 4 times to 4 walks for the Aragua Tigers.
Uncle Rico Washington is making some pretty awesome videos of himself throwing footballs down in Venezuela. He’s doing an even better job of hitting baseballs against live competition, putting up a nifty .304/.421/.506 line. He has 7 HR and 31 walks. He’s had 168 at bats for Caribes. Now if he could only find a time machine on the internet so he can go back in time and make himself a 23 year old putting up those types of numbers, versus a being a quad A All Star who’s going to turn 30 this year. He’d take state.
Mark Worrell hasn’t thrown much, just 5.1 innings. He had 5 walks, 3 K’s and a 3.38 ERA for the Licey Tigers.
My breakout candidate Dan Nelson is raking in the Colombian League, hitting .313/.423/.473 in 131 at bats. He has 24 walks and 14 extra base hits for the Cartegena Toros. I sort of wonder why no team was hip enough to take him in the minor league portion of rule 5.
His teammate Shane Robinson isn’t doing too bad himself, hitting .276/.370/.426 in 94 at bats. He also has 6 steals, and carries pictures of David Eckstein, Muggsy Bogues and Scrappy Doo in his wallet for good luck. Dah-dah-dah-dah-dah! Puppy power!
Nicaragua’s chief export is now line drives. Amaury “the Body” Cazana is hitting .375 in 40 at bats for the Boer Indians.
Luke Gorsett is having a rough go. He’s hit a poop-tastic .212/.292/.327 in 104 at bats for the Chinandega Tigers, who are also in the Nicaraguan League.
Juan Lucena is hitting .338/.347/.493 in 71 at bats for Aragua Venezuelan Parallel League Team. A player who lives on contact, he has just 2 K’s. That’s not to be confused with the instructional league Cardinal team, whose season wraps up on the 19th. I’ll have a review when they are done.
“Lucy’s” teammate Reynier Gonzalez of the Flying Gonzalez Bros. is doing OK, too. In 37 IP, he has 35 K, but he’s also walked 14 batters and surrendered 3 homers. He has a 5.11 ERA; but the K’s are encouraging.
You can always look up the players stats on the Winter Ball links located on the right sidebar.
Filed under: Winter ball
erik
azruavatar
fewgoodcards
roarke49
theredbaaron
No team could have taken Nelson in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 if the Cardinals protected him at the AAA level. This doesn’t mean he has to play at this level necessarily but the Cardinals get so many players (I forgot the number, it’s like a 40-man roster) to protect at the AAA and AA levels.
I did not know that he was protected, that’s good to know.
Erik, he was making a general statement saying he could have been. It would be nice to know for sure though.
oh. i was reading in a hurry, sort of have been on the go here. my mistake.
Its all good
Keep up the good work though, nice update.
I don’t know if it’s fair to call rico washington a “quad-A player”, as he’s never been given a shot in the big leagues. Getting hurt at the end of last season when Rolen was injured was a terrible break for him…
i called him a quad a all star. the minors is littered are them. it doesn’t mean they are bad players, they just haven’t been given their shots, or only short trial runs, a la scott seabol. jack cust is a good example of a quad a all star made good. same for al reyes. it’s not a slam neccessarily, all in good fun. rico will be an nri this year, so he’ll get a look. who knows, he could latch on, or make an impression leading to a future call up. if so, more power to him.
Speaking of Jack Cust, he got his own section in the Mitchell Report.