AFL Championship GameThread: Phoenix Desert Dogs vs Peoria Javelinas.
by Ed Chigliak on Nov 21, 2009 5:04 AM EST
0 comments
AFL Championship...
• Top 5 Reasons You Should Still Watch The AFL Championship Game. - Federal Baseball
"So you don't get to see the '09 No. 1 overall pick Stephen Strasburg pitch, you do get to see the player taken second overall by the Seattle Mariners, Dustin Ackley..."
• Tampa Bay Rays' prospect Mitch Talbot steps in for the injured Stephen Strasburg today, pitching for the Phoenix Desert Dogs (19-13) against Peoria, Arizona's second-favorite team, the Javelinas, (18-14) and right-hander Anthony Varvaro in the Arizona Fall League's Championship game at 12:35 MST (2:35 pm EST) in Scottsdale, Arizona's Scottsdale Stadium. Talbot, 25, a 2002 2nd Round pick of the Houston Astros who was traded to Tampa Bay along with IF/OF Ben Zobrist in a deal that sent IF/OF Aubrey Huff out to Minute Maid in 2006, posted a (4-4) record with a 3.69 ERA and 67 K's in 15 starts and 68.1 IP at three stops in the Rays' system in 2009, and he finished the AFL regular season with a (3-0) record and a 4.37 ERA in 6 starts and 22.2 IP. Anthony Varvaro, a 12th Round pick taken 353rd overall by the Seattle Mariners in 2005 out of St. John's University and Staten Island, New York, pitched at two levels of the Seattle system this season, going (4-3) with a 3.43 ERA and 73 K's in 44 G and 62.0 IP, splitting time between the Class-A Advanced High Desert Mavericks and the Double-A West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (real name). Varvano, who was (1-0) with 2 saves in 10 games and 13.1 IP this fall will be making his first start of the fall for the Javelinas...
BACKPAGE:
• Strasburg Diagnosis Is In.
• Desert Dogs Cap Contest.
0 comments | 0 recs |
SooperDooks and Juan Miranda go yard for Licey (Dukes' monster shot to left center starts at about 30 seconds in).
about 11 hours ago
Doghouse
1 comment
0 recs
Top 5 Reasons You Should Still Watch The AFL Championship Game.
by Ed Chigliak on Nov 20, 2009 5:11 PM EST
5 comments
So you don't get to see the '09 No. 1 overall pick Stephen Strasburg pitch, you do get to see the player taken second overall by the Seattle Mariners, Dustin Ackley, a converted outfielder who hit over .400 in three-straight seasons (with an OBP over .500 in his final two years) at UNC before becoming the first fielder taken in the 2009 First-year Player Draft, and so far in the AFL, Ackley's hit for a .315 AVG with 5 doubles, 1 HR and 12 RBI's, while posting a .412 OBP, .425 SLG and an .836 OPS...the Mariners may already/one day regret having sent Orioles' CF Adam Jones to Baltimore in the Bedard deal, but Ackley will help them forget.
4. Chris Marrero
Adam Dunn's under contract for one more year, so unless the Nationals find some way to convince the big slugger to sign an extension, the top-ranked first base prospect in the DC system is Chris Marrero, a 21-year-old former third baseman and outfielder who's now playing his third position since being selected with the 15th overall pick in the first round of the 2006 MLB draft out of Miami, Florida's Monsignor Pace high school. Marrero hit for a combined .284 AVG, a .358 OBP, .452 SLG and an .810 OPS with 27 doubles, 17 HR's and 76 RBI's at two stops in the Nationals' organization this year, playing 112 games with the Class-A Advanced Potomac Nationals before moving up for 23 games with the Double-A Harrisburg Senators. In 23 games and 83 at bats with the AFL's Desert Dogs, Marrero's hit for a .349 AVG with 7 doubles, 3 HR's and 21 RBI's, a .402 OBP, .542 SLG and a .944 OPS. (ed. note - "And now you too can stare at his 'footwork' at first base and see if you notice anything...")
Reasons No. 3-1 After The JUMP!!...
5 comments | 0 recs |
Washington Nationals Complete Field Staff with the Hiring of MacLaren, Lett, Radison
by Dave at Nats News Network on Nov 20, 2009 2:13 PM EST
7 comments
Press Release after the jump.
7 comments | 0 recs |
Washington Nationals' Prospects Finish AFL Regular Season.
by Ed Chigliak on Nov 20, 2009 1:56 AM EST
19 comments
The box score for Thursday's Phoenix Desert Dogs/Surprise Rafters game doesn't mention the most important development out of Arizona, Stephen Strasburg's knee injury and subsequent removal from the starter's role in Saturday's nationally-televised AFL Championship, but it does wrap up the regular season for all of the Nationals' prospects participating in the Arizona Fall League, with SS Danny Espinosa, first baseman Chris Marrero and relief pitcher Josh Wilkie all appearing in the D-Dogs' 7-4 loss. Espinosa was 0 for 2, leaving the 22-year-old infielder with a .345 AVG, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR and 14 RBI's in 24 games, over which he posted a .434 OBP, with a .460 SLG and an .894 OPS. Marrero, 21, goes 2 for 4 with his 10th double and 21st RBI in 20 games and 83 AB's in which he's collected 29 hits, (7 doubles and 3 HR's), for a .349 AVG with 8 walks, 16 K's, a .402 OBP, .542 SLG and a .944 OPS. Wilkie, 25, a right-hander out of George Washington University who signed with DC as an undrafted free agent, gave up a hit in a scoreless inning of work in the fifth, and shortly thereafter received news that could (potentially) change the course of his career...(cont. after the JUMP)...
Final Score - Rafters 7, Desert Dogs 4 - MLB.com Gameday.
Desert Dogs finish AFL Reg. Season: 19-13.
BACKPAGE:
• Washington Nationals Set 40-Man Roster...
• Elijah Dukes Goes Yard...Again...
19 comments | 0 recs |
Stephen Strasburg Injured? All Of NatsTown™ Panics...
by Ed Chigliak on Nov 19, 2009 9:39 PM EST
11 comments
Though the details are sketchy at the moment, word out of Arizona is that the Washington Nationals' '09 No.1 overall pick pitcher Stephen Strasburg has suffered a knee injury that will keep him out of Saturday's AFL Championship game. Washington Post writer Dave Sheinin, in a Nationals Journal post entitled, "Strasburg hurts knee, out of Saturday's AFL title game", reports that Strasburg, "...stepped awkwardly while shagging flies in the outfield, heard a pop, and crumpled to the ground."
Washington Times' writer Ben Goessling writes, in a Chatter post entitled, "Strasburg out again", that, "An MRI showed inflammation on his left knee, but the team said the injury is not considered serious." According to MLB.com's Bill Ladson, Strasburg will fly back to Washington, DC to have the knee examined by, "Nationals medical director Dr. Wiemi Douoguih."
11 comments | 0 recs |
Minor League Ball.com's John Sickels' Washington Nationals' Top 20 Prospects.
by Ed Chigliak on Nov 19, 2009 2:43 PM EST
9 comments
A little over a week back Baseball America's Aaron Fitt unveiled his list of the Top 10 Prospects in the Washington Nationals' system, and now Minor League Ball.com's John Sickels has posted his own list of DC's top prospects in a post entitled, "Washington Nationals Top 20 Prospects for 2010". Both writers agree on the Top 3 with (RHP) Stephen Strasburg, (C) Derek Norris and (RHP) Drew Storen atop each list, with the first difference of opinion occuring over who is the highest-ranked shortstop in the Nationals' system , as Mr. Fitt places (SS) Ian Desmond fourth, one spot ahead of Danny Espinosa, while Desmond appears further down in Mr. Sickels' list as the 9th-ranked prospect overall in the DC system behind (1B) Chris Marrero, (2B) Jeff Kobernus, and (OFers) Michael Burgess and Justin Maxwell...Here's Minor League Ball.com's John Sickels' list of the Top 10 Prospects in the Nationals' system: (w/their BA ranking in parentheses):
- Stephen Strasburg - RHP (1)
- Derek Norris - C (2)
- Drew Storen - RHP (3)
- Danny Espinosa - SS (5)
- Chris Marrero - 1B (6)
- Jeff Kobernus - 2B (7)
- Michael Burgess - OF (9)
- Justin Maxwell - OF (8)
- Ian Desmond - SS (4)
- Bradley Meyers - RHP (N/L)
LINK:
• Washington Nationals Top 20 Prospects for 2010 - Minor League Ball - John Sickels
9 comments | 0 recs |
Washington Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo Adds Davey Johnson To Front Office.
by Ed Chigliak on Nov 19, 2009 12:47 AM EST
13 comments
Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo Adds Davey Johnson To Front Office:
On June 7th 2006, then-Washington Nationals' GM Jim Bowden brought Davey Johnson on board in DC as a consultant to the GM, describing the former major league infielder and New York Mets' manager in MLB.com's Bill Ladson's article entitled, "Bowden reunited with Johnson", as a "tremendous evaluator of players" with a "tremendous understanding of building a championship organization," who would be tasked with, in Mr. Ladson's words, "...evaluat(ing) other team's prospects."
According to MLB.com's Bill Ladson's 11/18/09 article entitled, "Nats name Johnson senior advisor to GM", amongst his other contributions during his first stint in Washington, Johnson, "...told the Nationals to select catcher Jesus Flores in the 2006 Rule 5 Draft." The current DC GM, Mike Rizzo, who's announcing that he's brought Davey Johnson in as his own senior advisor, heaps similar praise upon the skipper of the 1986 World Series winning Mets, explaining that, "Davey makes me a smarter general manager,'" :
"'He is a deep thinker. He has done every aspect you can do in the game. Just to be around him, it makes me all that much better.'"
This time around with Washington, Johnson, according to Mr. Ladson, "...will attend Spring Training as a coach, and he will most likely be a scout and roving instructor during the season."
BACKPAGE:
Riggleman Brings Back Rick "You Have No Integrity" Eckstein, Steve "McChatty" McCatty and Pat Listach.
Dukes In The DWL: Elijah Dukes In The Dominican Republic.
13 comments | 0 recs |
Secondary Sidebar
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recent FanShots
NL East Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Philadelphia
|
93 | 69 | .574 | 0 | Lost 1 |
|
Florida
|
87 | 75 | .537 | 6 | Lost 1 |
|
Atlanta
|
86 | 76 | .530 | 7 | Lost 6 |
|
New York
|
70 | 92 | .432 | 23 | Won 3 |
|
Washington
|
59 | 103 | .364 | 34 | Won 7 |
(updated 11.21.2009 at 7:55 AM EST)
Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
Most Commented
Video: Licey.com. Decide for yourself, was it a change that Estrellas de Oriente pitcher Eddy...
by Ed Chigliak 5 days ago
114 comments | 0 recs
Washington Nationals: AFL/DWL Update...Stephen Strasburg/Elijah Dukes...
by Ed Chigliak 6 days ago
71 comments | 0 recs
Why Would John Lackey Want To Pitch For The Washington Nationals?
by Ed Chigliak 2 days ago
40 comments | 0 recs
Washington Nationals' Elijah Dukes Gets Ejected...+ Rumorville.
by Ed Chigliak 5 days ago
21 comments | 0 recs
Washington Nationals' Prospects Finish AFL Regular Season.
by Ed Chigliak 1 day ago
19 comments | 0 recs