Posts Tagged ‘Lancaster JetHawks’
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May Farm Report: Promotions & Emotions - Part 2June 3rd, 2008
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Before diving into part two of my May farm report, I’d be remiss not to mention the upcoming amateur entry draft held this Thursday through Friday.
The Red Sox, as the defending World Champions, own the final pick, 30th overall, in the first round, but the club also has a supplemental first round pick, 45th overall, in their arsenal. That’s because pitcher Eric Gagne, although a major bust during his brief tenure with the Sox, signed with the Milwaukee Brewers as a Type B free agent—a status that earns the player’s former team a sandwich pick prior to the beginning of the second round. So, at least Gag-me was good for something.
If available, look for the Sox to nab junior shortstop Reese Havens out of the University of South Carolina with their first round selection Thursday afternoon.
The six-foot, one-inch left-handed hitter finished the collegiate season with a .359 batting for the Gamecocks, slugging 18 home runs in all while toting an impressive .486 on-base percentage. Havens also excelled in the Cape Cod Baseball League this past summer, adjusting well to wood bats as he batted .314 with five home runs.
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May Farm Report: Promotions & Emotions - Part 1June 3rd, 2008
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It’s that time again. As the calendar flips to June—and as the 2008 amateur draft gets ready to kick off later this week—we first need to look back at the month that was down on the farm for the Red Sox organization.
But before highlighting the best from the month of May, a little upkeep on April’s minor league headliners tops the pecking order.
Soon after earning pitcher of the month honors in April in Triple-A Pawtucket, right-handed reliever Craig Hansen received another mark of distinction—only this one a bit more noteworthy for the imposing six-foot, six-inch fireballer with a hard slider. On May 6, the 24-year-old Hansen was promoted to the big league Red Sox in an effort to solidify a heavily Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon dependent bullpen.
While the results have been mixed, Hansen has shown some signs of being the potential dominating setup he was heralded to be when Boston selected him in the first round of the 2005 amateur draft. His high earned run average remains a bit deceiving given his lousy/unlucky strand rate of 42 percent; however, on the flipside, his command has been spotty and his .267 BABIP has worked to his benefit …
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April Farm Report: A Master and His Bard - Part 2May 2nd, 2008
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In continuing my quick and dirty April farm report for the Red Sox, it’s now time to assess the organization’s Single-A affiliates.
Ah yes, the lower levels of the minor leagues, where young high-ceiling prospects either thrive towards a quick promotion from obscurity or languish into the doldrums of baseball mediocrity.
A quick note before we proceed: Lancaster’s Clear Channel Stadium is a joke.
Now, let me explain. You see, the park sits 2,500 feet above sea level with high winds … no, rather, a jet stream … consistently blowing straight out to right field all day, every day. In terms of park factors, we’re talking about the (pre-humidor) Coors Field Effect times ten here.
Don’t believe me? OK, chew on this: last season, a series between Lancaster and Lake Elsinore produced not only a 30-0 game but a total of 95 hits (!), 83 runs (!!), and 23 home runs (!!!) in all during the three-game set. Yikes.
Therefore, as a result, the stadium is a hitter’s paradise and a pitcher’s worst nightmare, Freddy Krueger style. And it’s also not limited to just Lancaster as most parks in the California League favor the batsmen over their counterpart atop the mound. So, keep that in mind.