Following LaPorta, Jackson, Bryson, Hammond, Ford -- Latest: Bryson on Brewers' MRI Reluctance

[jjfanec]

Matt LaPorta went 1-4 with a three-run home run, but went 0-4 with 4 K's against Cuba. He is now 1-12 with 6 K's. Hopefully he can turn around and the hopefully the US team can turn it around as they are 1-2 to start out the Olympics

[Mass Haas]

Box score link from Thursday night

Jackson certainly didn't dazzle or remind anyone of CC Sabathia, but his five innings of work looked pretty good compared to the bullpen's night.

The 25-year-old right-hander, one of the four players acquired in the Sabathia trade, did run into some early trouble, however, when he allowed two quick runs in the first inning.

"I had a little trouble getting the first, second guy out in the inning," Jackson said. "I had to work a little bit harder and got my pitch count up. I just wish I could have gone a little deeper into the game."

The Indians had Jackson's back, though, as they evened up the score in the bottom half of the first inning. Grady Sizemore and Ben Francisco picked up singles off Cabrera before Shin-Soo Choo brought them around with a two-out, opposite-field double.

But Jackson would leave the game behind as the O's picked up a run off Jackson that will go down in the books as earned, but certainly could have been prevented. Ramon Hernandez was on second with a two-out double when he came around to score on Kevin Millar's double to right-center field, which could have easily been caught had Sizemore or Choo seen it. Both players lost it in the lights before letting it fall between them.

"That's the way the game goes," said Jackson, who got Wedge's backing afterward to make Wednesday's start against the Royals. "My team behind me made some great plays ... [then the] ball gets lost in the lights. It happens. It's baseball."

The Tribe ensured Jackson wouldn't be the pitcher of record in the sixth inning, when Asdrubal Cabrera drove in Kelly Shoppach with an RBI double to even the score at 3. The rally had the potential to be much more, but Franklin Gutierrez went down swinging with the bases loaded to end the inning and make for the last meaningful Tribe threat of the night.

[Mass Haas]

Haven't posted Darren Ford's game log in a while...

[wvpowerblkwel]

Have had a recent conversation with Rob Bryson, and he is throwing again (up to 90 feet) and hopes that he will make an appearance in a game before the season end. Injury is something of concern, but nothing that requires "season ending surgery" as I think I read somewhere in this thread before. Here's wishing Rob a speedy recover so maybe he can face the Power in the playoffs! Of course at this point, that's as much up to the Power as it is to Rob!!

[Mass Haas]

Baseball America with the report:

 

LaPorta Beaned By China, Exits Game

[Postseason2006]

The 25-year-old right-hander, one of the four players acquired in the Sabathia trade, did run into some early trouble, however, when he allowed two quick runs in the first inning.

He's RH now?

[Mass Haas]

Yeah, that's another typo, that one from the Cleveland press (Zach Jackson being right-handed).

 

I don't want to make too big a deal of it, because I've made my share of faux-pas, but you guys would be amazed how many times (near-daily) I'm making corrections in the media coverage accounts that get linked and pasted here (nothing that would change the content's focus, and not necessarily spelling / grammar errors).

 

There was a game story recently (not the web site coverage, but the game story from a newspaper) that made me wonder if the reporter had actually seen the game -- it was a home game, not just a road game summary. I kept going back and forth with the game log and saying to myself, this is just wrong. Must have adjusted five-six factual errors.

 

Pointing out each and every one is fruitless, but it does underscore that when sports reporters are filing late-evening stories, they're pretty much on their own in terms of editing.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

LaPorta sees stars

Ex-Huntsville player takes pitch to head vs. ChinaHuntsville Times

Contact Mark McCarter at mark.mccarter@htimes.com or visit his al.com blog at http://blog.al.com/mccarter

 

BEIJING - Table tennis was a catalyst in bringing the United States and China together in the 1970s.

 

Baseball just set back diplomatic relationships between the two nations three decades.

 

Quick. Somebody get Henry Kissinger out of retirement.

 

It may not be too late to save it.

 

I went to a baseball game Monday night and an international incident broke out. Blame the full moon, I guess.

 

Peace and harmony? Wiped out on a collision at the plate. One World One Dream? One 87 mph fastball to the head flushed that away.

 

The Red Sox and Yankees are a company picnic sack-race compared to this.

 

The United States beat China 9-1 to improve its Olympic record to 3-2. Aside from simply wanting to check out a baseball game, part of the reason to attend was to catch up with Matt LaPorta, the outfielder who began the season with the Huntsville Stars. (He was traded to Cleveland in July for pitcher CC Sabathia to help the Brewers' pennant run.)

 

You'll notice a significant lack of LaPorta quotes.

 

He was led off the field with little planets and stars circling his head, the way it does in the comics. He was the victim of the aforementioned 87-mph fastball to the noggin. LaPorta was taken to a hospital for a CAT scan, and it was determined he has a slight concussion.

 

Here is LaPorta's Olympics:

 

One-for-15 at the plate (the hit was a home run)

 

A nasty tumble in the outfield when he tripped over center fielder Nick Schierholtz.

 

A collision at home with catcher Wang Wei that started the ugliness.

 

A pitch to the head.

 

A Michael Phelps Olympics he is not having.

 

The Americans broke open a 1-0 game in the fifth on Taylor Teagarden's two-run double, with LaPorta scoring the second run by plowing shoulder-first into Wang Wei's chest, who had to be helped off the field.

 

Chinese manager Jim Lefebvre, the former Dodger second baseman and major league manager, complained immediately and was ejected. He complained later, before bolting abruptly from a press conference that never really got started, that "it was an illegal slide. The umpire should have ejected (LaPorta)."

 

Jason Donald was hit by a pitch moments immediately after the play, then Schierholtz, a Giants' Triple-A outfielder, was hit in the sixth. He exacted his revenge by creaming Yang Yang at home. Schierholtz claimed Yang was blocking the plate, which would have made a slide dangerous. Yang, understandably, got up and said something challenging to Schierholtz, who turned to confront him.

 

"It's baseball, said Schierholtz, who carried himself with something of defiant air. "They've got to accept that. It's not my problem."

 

We were close to a bench's clearing brawl. On another stage, it'd have been automatic. "It's a little different here, I guess," Schierholtz said.

 

LaPorta, leading off the seventh, was hit by Kun Chen. Hitting LaPorta would be forgivable. It's baseball. But not in the head. And not at 87 mph.

 

As with most Olympic venues, there has been much Americanization of the event, up to and including a heavy reliance on the theme from "Green Acres" for between-pitches bumper music.

 

The game got Americanized, too, with aggressive baseball took over. Both sides had their cheap-shot moments. Both are equally guilty of the international incident.

 

Both could calmly ease the tension if they cared to.

 

It'd just take a couple of games of Ping-Pong.

[Mass Haas]

Darren Ford with only pinch-hit AB's in recent games, his Cal League numbers mirror his numbers with Brevard County

 

Steve Hammond OK for a win in his most recent start (two runs in the 7th took away a "quality start")

[Mass Haas]

LaPorta homers as U.S. takes bronze

 

Zach Jackson's latest start with Cleveland (Wednesday)

 

Nice start for Steve Hammond (Thursday)

Darren Ford's recent game log (only one strong game this week)

[Mass Haas]

Steve Hammond Wednesday Night with Fresno

 

Darren Ford Game Log

 

Zach Jackson pretty impressive again last Monday with Cleveland

[Mass Haas]

Matt LaPorta 3-for-8 with a home run since his return to Akron.

LaPorta returned to Akron on Tuesday after a month away helping Team USA claim the bronze medal in the Beijing Olympics. But he was not cleared to play until Thursday after medical tests confirmed there was no brain damage from being hit in the head in a game against host China.

 

Thanks to the guys at rightfieldbleachers.com for this Steve Hammond article they linked to last week.

 

Darren Ford no longer leading off in San Jose.

[Mass Haas]

Steve Hammond's final regular season start for 2008 -- seven quality, gutsy innings (two runs, nine hits)

 

Matt LaPorta's Akron team will be in the playoffs.

 

San Jose will be playing postseason ball as well. Darren Ford not excelling in the offensive-crazy Cal League.

 

Zach Jackson -- apparently Cliff Lee is not rubbing off in Cleveland.

[wvpowerblkwel]

For what it's worth, Rob Bryson was not totally done for the year. He pitched a strong inning on the 29th of August, and could possibly face his former team on Friday night in Lake County. Still has some soreness but I don't think it was quite as bad as originally reported.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Playoffs pit Bryson against former team

By Jonathan Mayo / MiLB.com

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The last time Rob Bryson was here at Appalachian Power Park, he was wearing West Virginia's logo across his chest.

 

On Wednesday, he came back to the park for the first time as a Lake County Captain with a chance to help eliminate his former teammates from the South Atlantic League playoffs.

 

"I got a little preview when they came to our place and I got to play against them for the first time since the trade," the 20-year-old right-hander said. "Being back here, obviously, I lived here for those few months and played here, it's exciting. It's a little weird seeing them on the other side of the field, that's for sure."

 

"The trade," of course, was the July 7 deal that sent lefty CC Sabathia from Cleveland to Milwaukee. While most of the attention, in terms of the return the Indians got for their ace centered around Matt LaPorta, Bryson and his live right arm definitely could make that deal seem even sweeter for Cleveland further down the line.

 

Now Bryson has the chance to use that arm against his old friends. The Captains knew they were in, having clinched the first-half North Division title before Bryson joined the squad. So they -- Bryson in particular -- watched with interest as the Power got hot and finished with the league's second-best second-half record.

 

"That made the playoffs that much more exciting, knowing we were playing against them," Bryson said. "We had already clinched and those guys had to play some pretty good ball to make it. I was rooting for them so I'd get a chance to play against them. It was something I was looking forward to."

 

Until just recently, it looked like it might be something Bryson would have to look forward to but not participate in. He hurt his shoulder in late July -- ironically, it was against West Virginia during that visit to Lake County -- and just returned to action at the very end of the regular season.

 

He appeared in seven games in total for the Captains, all in relief, posting a 2.19 ERA over 12 1/3 innings while yielding only six hits and striking out 11. That gave the 2006 31st-round pick a 3.88 ERA between the two SAL clubs. He held opponents to a .197 average with 84 strikeouts in 67 1/3 combined innings.

 

But even those numbers are misleading. Bryson had a 4.82 ERA over 18 2/3 innings in five starts for the Power. He claims he has no preference in terms of a pitching role, but it's clear that at least for now, he's more comfortable coming out of the 'pen.

 

Totaling his numbers as a reliever, Bryson had a 3.51 ERA with 64 Ks in 48 2/3 innings. Some young players have trouble making the transition after a trade. He seemed to embrace it.

 

"The trade was exciting," Bryson said. "It was a kind of spur-of-the-moment thing. I had no clue. We were going on the road that night, so I had no idea. As far as the trade, it's definitely an honor to be traded for someone like CC Sabathia. I was excited about it. It was a good thing for me."

 

It might end up being a good thing for the Captains in this series. He hasn't closed any games for Lake County, but he's got that kind of stuff, with 13 saves and 154 srikeouts over 121 1/3 innings in his brief career. And nothing would please him more than standing on the mound in the ninth inning with the chance to end his former teammates' season while extending his new club's just a few more games.

 

"That'd be pretty exciting," Bryson said. "That would be perfect."

 

Rob Bryson was 3-2 with a 4.25 ERA in 22 games before a trade to the Indians' organization. (Photo by West Virginia Power)

 

http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/images/2008/09/03/irGJpHoE.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Huge two-homer game for Matt LaPorta in the Eastern League playoffs

[Mass Haas]

Huge games for Matt LaPorta (and Travis Hafner!?) lead Akron to the Eastern Laegue finals.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Bryson eager to watch NL Playoffs

Pitcher sent to Indians in trade for Sabathia

By BUDDY HURLOCK

The Delaware News Journal

 

When CC Sabathia takes the mound today for the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of their National League Division Series with the Phillies, the midseason trade that brought Sabathia to the Brewers -- a move that basically put the Brewers in the playoffs -- will be on the mind of Dobbinsville's Rob Bryson.

 

Bryson, a William Penn High graduate, signed with the Brewers in May 2007. In his second year with them this season he had 73 strikeouts and 20 walks in 55 innings with the low Class A West Virginia Power. On July 6, the 20-year-old Bryson and three other minor leaguers were traded to the Cleveland Indians for the 2007 American League Cy Young Award winner, Sabathia, who today makes his fifth start in 17 days.

"Of course," Bryson said, "every time I hear the guy's name, the trade goes through my mind and I am still just honored to have been traded for him."

 

Sabathia went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA for Milwaukee in 17 games, and is expected to contend for the Cy Young award in the NL this year despite only being in the league for half a season.

 

"He's had a lights-out year and that makes me feel even better [about the trade]," said Bryson, who earlier this week said he was hoping to score tickets for today's game through a few Brewers connections he still has.

 

"It's going to be an interesting series and I am excited to watch it," he said. "The Phillies are hot right now and were the best team in baseball in September, playing real well. It will be fun to see what happens."

 

As for the rest of Bryson's year, he joined Cleveland's low Class A team, Lake County (Ohio). He pitched 12 1/3 innings in seven games and was diagnosed with a torn labrum. He will have surgery Wednesday.

 

Bryson spent time on the disabled list in August, rehabilitating the arm, but did pitch as late as Aug. 29, striking out two in one inning.

 

"My first day back on the mound everything felt fine," Bryson said. "But in the days after that, I felt pretty sore."

 

The surgery will keep Bryson off the mound for six to nine months or possibly more. Bryson said that a labrum tear is "something that just happens over time," and that it's torn enough to where it's become painful.

 

"I just want to get it taken care of as soon as possible," Bryson said about next week's surgery. "That way, I can recover as soon as possible. They told me rehab will be six to nine months. But pitching competitively, I probably will not be back on the mound in a game situation for at least a year."

[Mass Haas]

Nice Matt LaPorta story here.

[wvpowerblkwel]

Just a for what it's worth update. Rob had surgery on wednesday and said everything went well. He's hurting pretty good right now, but that's to be expected. I'll keep you updated when I find out more about it when he's feeling better.

[twobrewers]

Just an update on LaPorta...

 

In 60 at bats with Cleveland in the minor leagues he struggled and put up a .649 OPS in AA.

In 43 at bats in Venezuela Winter League he has struggled and put up a .679 OPS.

In both places, he has been striking out almost 1/3 of the time.

 

Not saying he won't be good, but he is certainly going through some growing pains right now.

[agent39]

Darren is headed to the AFL.

[wvpowerblkwel]

Follow the link to an interview with Rob Bryson on Smoke Signals, an Indians radio show recorded 12/18/2008. Rob's segment begins somewhere around the 32:00 mark. Pretty interesting stuff.

[molitor fan]

Wow.....why Bryson would make those comments about the Brewers organization is an interesting question...wk, did you know Bryson harbored such ill feelings towards the Brewers organization when he lived with you? The denial of MRI's is a pretty serious accusation.

[Mass Haas]

Notice Bryson also questioned the Indians rushing him back for the Sally League playoffs, so it's not just the Brewers who should look themselves in the mirror.

 

However, Bryson's comment about several Brewer pitchers who were seeking medical assistance in the terms of MRI's and such and having the organization make it difficult for them to do so should send chills up our spines, given the Brewers' excrutiating history of developing pitchers. Go the 39:45 minute mark for the exact quote, and the 32:00 minute mark for the start of the interview, as noted above.

It'd be very interesting for Adam McCalvy to take that exact quote and present it to Gord Ash in particular, who oversees the medical aspect of the minor leagues, and have him address the comment on the record. In fact, we'll drop him a line, and Tom H. as well, to determine if they plan on following it up. It seems simple enough to ask -- "Gord, Rob Bryson recently said... in this interview, care to comment...? We know we'll get a standard pat answer from Gord, it's not like he'll say, "yes, that's right", but maybe this will lead to a bigger analysis of the Brewers' medical procedures.

 

By the way, Rob Bryson was incredibly well-spoken for a just-turned 21-year-old, wasn't he? He certainly went on the record with his comments.

 

Could this be part of the reason Lee Tunnell was hired to replace Jim Rooney as Organizational Pitching Coordinator this year?