Around The Farm: August 30, 2012 (8.31.12)

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday’s performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in yesterday’s game.

Tony Wolters (SS, Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 SO

After hitting his eighth home run and 30^th double last night, there is no doubt that Tony Wolters is a legitimate prospect going forward for the Cleveland Indians. Sure, names like Francisco Lindor, Dorssys Paulino, and Ronny Rodriguez remain ahead of him, but there’s just something about Wolters’ desire that keeps him going. After a terrible April (.130/.231/.159 slash line), Wolters made adjustments and has raked since (.286/.339/.453 slash line). Even more impressive is how the 20-year old has handled the jump from Mahoning Valley to Carolina successfully. Wolters may not have the most tools in the organization, but he certainly has the most “want.” Read More…

From Indians Prospect Insider, August 31, 2012

 

Denny McClain shares his thoughts on the Indians and more (8.30.12)

Two-time Cy Young Award winner, 1968 AL MVP, and last 30-game winner in Major League Baseball Denny McLain has been many things in his life, but one thing he is unapologetic about is being outspoken. In a short seven minute conversation with him Sunday at Canal Park, I got the full experience of his brazen, honest look on the world of baseball.

McLain, who has been to 44 different cities lately on a tour meant to promote a reality show debuting after Thanksgiving, was not shy about speaking his mind on many issues of the day. When I mentioned the Stephen Strasburg imminent shutdown, McLain responded exactly how I expected someone who threw 661 innings between 1968 and 1969 to react. Read More…

From Indians Prospect Insider, August 30, 2012

 

Launching Off With The Aeros: 8/21/12 – 8/27/12 (8.28.12)

Your Akron Aeros are guaranteed a playoff spot, but their play over the past week was subpar. The Aeros dropped five of eight games, lowering their record on the season to 78-57. Akron’s pitching staff allowed a completely respectable 30 runs in those eight games, but the offense staggered to a mere 20 runs. It’s hard to win only scoring 2.5 runs per game, so the Aeros’ offense will need to pick it up before the playoffs begin.

Akron will be out of town all week, but when they return, it will be time for playoff baseball! The time and date of those games is still undecided, but keep checking back as the week goes on for all your Akron Aeros updates. It’s a great time to follow the Aeros since they actually are competing for a title, unlike their neighbors to the north in Cleveland. Read More…

From Indians Prospect Insider, August 28, 2012

 

Ranking the Cleveland Indians’ roster for the home stretch (8.27.12)

As we reach the home stretch of the baseball season, it is once again time to rank the players that the Cleveland Indians have used this season. Unfortunately for Tribe fans, this exercise is just another example of how poor the quality of player the Indians used this year was. I became thoroughly depressed while doing this and found myself thinking that the Indians won’t ever compete again. But that won’t happen, right?

So, if any of these write-ups get short or snarky, blame it on Antonetti/Shapiro/Dolan/Acta; I didn’t make this roster. There are some bright spots, as always, but there is a lot of crap to sift through too. Read More…

From Indians Prospect Insider, August 27, 2012

 

Around The Farm: August 23, 2012 (8.24.12)

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday’s performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in yesterday’s game.

Tony Wolters (2B, Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB

The way that Tony Wolters has grown this season is one of the best stories of the Indians’ minor league system. Wolters went from over-his-head to flourishing prospect in a few short months and has reestablished himself as a top player going forward for the Tribe. None of Wolters’ tools particularly stick out, but by all accounts, there is no other player in the Tribe’s system that can match his “want.” That great makeup is what has gotten him through rough patches this season and will likely propel him through any more rough sailing that he will face in the upper levels of the minors. Wolters definitely seems like a player to bet on going forward, if for no other reason than he won’t allow himself to fail. Read More…

From Indians Prospect Insider, August 24, 2012

 

Brown, Lovegrove Look Great As AZL Indians Split Doubleheader (8.24.12)

The AZL Indians split a doubleheader with the AZL Dodgers last night, winning the first game 4-2 and dropping the second 3-1.

Pitching was the name of the game for the Indians, as the starters were both high draft picks for the Tribe in the 2012 draft (2nd round pick Mitch Brown and 3rd round pick Kieran Lovegrove). Lovegrove (ND, 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO) outdueled Brown (ND, 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR) on this day, but both had great outings in terms of development going forward. Read More…

From Indians Prospect Insider, August 24, 2012

 

Launching Off With The Aeros: 8/7/12 – 8/13/12 (8.14.12)

Your Akron Aeros struggled a little bit over the past week, dropping four of the seven games they played at Canal Park, but they remain one of the top teams in the Eastern League. The Aeros only allowed 20 runs in those seven games, but injuries have left the Akron offense particularly punchless. The offense did manage 25 runs, but seven of those came in the first game Friday night. In those other six games, the Aeros averaged an anemic 3.0 runs a game. Even in the offense-starved Eastern League, you need more than that to be successful.

Luckily for the Aeros, their record of 70-50 still leaves them 8.0 games up on the Bowie Baysox and 9.5 games ahead of the Richmond Flying Squirrels (and a playoff spot). The Aeros will travel to Harrisburg for a quick three-game set before headed back to Canal Park over the weekend to host the Reading Phillies.

On a personal note, I also will be headed out of town this weekend and into next weekend after getting married Saturday (Saturday!?!). But to the legions of readers of this notebook: don’t worry! Another one of IPI’s tremendous writing staff will cover your weekly fix of Aeros knowledge. Hopefully I don’t get Wally Pipped though… Read More…

From Indians Prospect Insider, August 14, 2012

 

Around The Farm: August 9, 2012 (8.10.12)

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday’s performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in yesterday’s game.

Francisco Lindor (SS, Lake County): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 SB

Sure, the home run from Francisco Lindor last night was an inside the park one that may have been aided by the ball getting stuck under the wall, but that doesn’t take away from Lindor’s night or his season. As much as people want to complain about Lindor’s season, he is an 18-year old kid playing full season ball for the first time. It would be an accomplishment if Lindor managed to keep his head above water, but he’s actually managing to be above average in the Midwest League (average Midwest League player: .253/.325/.379 slash line; Lindor: .263/.357/.371 slash line). Add in Lindor’s speed (25 steals) and the general raving from scouts about his makeup and you get the recipe for a truly special player. Just think: the Indians pushed Tony Wolters to High-A as a 20-year old and that was considered aggressive; Lindor is in position to make that jump next year at 19. Read More…

From Indians Prospect Insider, August 10, 2012

 

Launching Off With The Aeros: 7/31/12 – 8/6/12 (8.7.12)

The Akron Aeros didn’t quite fall to the level of futility their parent club currently inhabits, but they did drop three of their five games over the past week. That hardly puts a dent in the Aeros’ impressive 67-46 record, but it’s still not pretty.

Luckily for the Aeros, they will get the opportunity to avenge their losses this week at Canal Park. The Aeros will play host to the same Portland Sea Dogs and New Hampshire Fisher Cats they battled over the past week.

Akron is doing just fine in the Western Division as they are 8.5 games better than the second place Bowie Baysox and 11.0 games above the Richmond Flying Squirrels, but they will need to get some victories if they want to catch the Trenton Thunder. The Thunder finally caught the Aeros above the Eastern League standings and are currently 1.5 games better than the Aeros. Read More…

From Indians Prospect Insider, August 7, 2012

 

Around The Farm: August 2, 2012 (8.3.12)

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday’s performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in yesterday’s game. 

Tim Fedroff (LF, Columbus): 2-for-4, 1 R, 2 2B

Please, just call him up already. Once the Indians stood pat at the trade deadline, they basically declared themselves out of the playoff race this season. At this point, the Tribe really needs to find out if they have an in-house option to fill the black hole formerly known as left field. Johnny Damon has been better of late, but he will be of no use in 2013. Why not just give those at-bats to Tim Fedroff, who has only put together a .335/.413/.513 slash line, 10 HR, 17 doubles, and seven triples in 94 games between Akron and Columbus this year? Unfortunately, this tired refrain will likely fall upon deaf ears once again. Read More…

From Indians Prospect Insider, August 3, 2012