Arizona Fall League - season over - Brewer, Palmisano & Welch finish strong

[colbyjack]

The AFL weekly notebook sheds some light on the recent injuries:

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/a...ws_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

 

OUCH: The Javelinas have been hurt by injuries in the past week. Brewers prospects Jeffress and 3B Taylor Green both left games on Oct. 21. Jeffress departed with two outs in the first inning and was diagnosed with shoulder fatigue. The plan was to let him rest for about a week, then assess his condition, but his AFL season might be over. Green got hit in the face by a pitch and broke his nose. His Fall League stint is done, he'll be having some corrective surgery in the next couple of weeks and is expected to be fine. A third Brewer, C Angel Salome, has played just one game, sitting out with a sore shoulder.

[And That]

The Brewers also announced that shortstop prospect Brent Brewer will replace third baseman Taylor Green in the Arizona Fall League. Green suffered a broken nose this week when hit by a bad-hop grounder and will have surgery next week.

 

Link.

[jvrocksaz]

So did Green get hit by a pitch and break his nose or was it a bad hop grounder that did the trick? Let's hope it wasn't both!!!!

[colbyjack]

Omar Aguilar was the only Brewers to play in yesterday's game, tossing a scoreless inning, giving up a hit while striking out a pair. The hit he gave up was a weakly hit infield single on an 0-2 count that the shortstop couldn't get to first in time, and of his 13 pitches, 12 were strikes. That's good stuff!

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_10_28_perwin_scowin_1

 

During today's game, Lorenzo Cain led off for the Javelinas and played CF for the Javelinas, going 1-3 with a solo HR in the 6th inning (his 2nd this fall) and a walk.

 

Lou Palmisano went 1-4 (a double), a run scored and 2 Ks. Brae Wright got rocked today, giving up 4 hits and 4 ER while recording only one out.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_10_29_pddwin_perwin_1

[colbyjack]

Egads! Wright, then Scarpetta, now Periard.

 

Alexandre Periard gave up 6 ER today in 1.2 innings for work, getting the start (his first) for the Javelinas today. 6 hits, which included 2 home runs, both by Blue Jays prospect J.P. Arencibia, and 2 walks caused the damage.

 

David Welch pitched a perfect 9th inning. Lorenzo Cain batted 9th as the DH today and went 1-3 with a strikeout.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_10_30_perwin_pddwin_1

[colbyjack]

In an exciting evening for the Milwaukee Brewers farmhands, Lorenzo Cain appeared as a pinch-runner for the Javelinas yesterday. Today's game is at 8:05 CST for those looking for a way to cure your Halloween hangover with some baseball tonight.

[colbyjack]

Lou Palmisano came in to catch in the 6th inning, and recorded a pair of hits in his 2 ABs. Brent Brewer made his AFL debut while also coming in during the 6th. He went 0-2 with a K. He only had one grounder hit his way during his brief time playing, and handled it cleanly. David Welch used a pair of strikeouts to work around 2 hits and a walk in a scoreless inning, and Omar Aguilar continues his strong stint with another scoreless inning, giving up a hit and striking out a batter.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_11_01_msswin_perwin_1

 

The AFL is off on Sundays so Lou Palmisano's dad can watch the Packers.

[colbyjack]

Brent Brewer got the start today for the Javelinas. He went 0-3 with a K, but was part of two double plays on defense. Lorenzo Cain appeared as a pinch runner and swiped a base, his 3rd in the AFL.

 

EDITORIAL NOTE: Cain should be starting everyday. The situation with Michael Brantley and his impending departure to Cleveland really hurt Cain's status in this league since he had to wait to be named a participant. It doesn't help that he's playing on the same team as Austin Jackson, the Yankees' top prospect, and Drew Stubbs, a top prospect in the Reds organization, but Cain is more than holding his own, and is out-hitting all of the OFs on the Javelinas by nearly 100 points, yet he has the second fewest ABs among outfielders on his team.

[colbyjack]

http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2008/11/04/rMV442aq.jpg

 

Someone must have read my rant last night, as there is a nice feature story on Lorenzo Cain on MLB.com today:

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/a...ws_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

 

Cain learning plate discipline in AFL

Triple-A stint forced Brewers prospect to reevaluate approach

By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com

 

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Lorenzo Cain will be the first to admit that he's aggressive in the batter's box. It's the kind of protect-the-plate, jump-on-the-first-good-pitch mentality that has contributed to his success as he's progressed through the Milwaukee system.

 

While his aggressiveness has proved beneficial at times, it's also occasionally been a detriment. Cain's strikeout totals have been high and he knows it. He spent much of this season working on better control at the plate, an approach he's continuing to develop with the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League.

 

"I'm a very aggressive hitter," Cain said. "You play in those lower leagues and you're always swinging. And that's not good all the time. You rack up a lot of strikeouts if you're too aggressive. You have to be patient and get on so you can steal some bases, which is also part of my game.

 

"Sometimes you have to be able to take a pitch, no matter where you are in the count. And then with two strikes, just try to put the ball in play and avoid the strikeout. If you put it in play, you might look up and have a hit."

 

Cain did put the ball in play quite a bit this season, combining to hit .279 in the Florida State, Southern and Pacific Coast Leagues. He had 11 homers, 60 RBIs and stole 25 bases, but what stands just as much are the career-high 115 strikeouts.

 

But he is learning. Compare that regular-season strikeout number to his results so far in the AFL. Cain struck out only twice in his first 32 at-bats. He had two homers, four RBIs, a handful of steals and an OBP (.382) that would look good at the top of most batting orders.

 

It's all a learning process for the 22-year-old Cain, who didn't begin playing baseball until high school. He's a bit behind other prospects his age, but is quickly catching up with the rest of the top-flight talent in a very deep Milwaukee system.

 

"I think I've progressed pretty quickly and I'm close to the other guys in this league and on this team now," Cain said. "You always have a lot of learning to do. I think I had a pretty good season in all aspects of the game. My power numbers went up, I improved on the defensive side of the ball. I just didn't improve on my plate discipline. That still needs work.

 

"The pitchers get better as you move up. The breaking balls get better, the fastballs are harder and the pitchers locate better. But after you go through it and you experience it, you'll be fine."

 

Cain began the season at Brevard County in the Florida State League before a surprise promotion to Triple-A Nashville in June. He hit just .158 in 19 PCL at-bats before returning to the Florida State League, but while he was with Nashville, he had an epiphany of sorts.

 

The pitchers in the Pacific Coast League are much better than what Cain faced at Brevard County. He saw the future and realized that an adjustment was in order. He went 22-for-67 upon his return to the FSL, raising his average from .277 to .287, hitting safely in 15-of-17 games and earning another promotion, this time to Double-A Huntsville.

 

"I was [in the PCL] for two weeks and I saw the difference," he said. "So when I got back to the Florida State League, everything felt a lot easier. Those guys [in the PCL] really know how to locate their off-speed pitches. They are real pitchers up there and it helped me out a lot. I didn't do well there but it helped learn to see pitches."

 

Cain is seeing pitches well for the Javs, hitting .344 heading into Tuesday's action. So while the Brewers have some big names in their system -- Mat Gamel, Angel Salome, etc. -- Cain is proving that he belongs in that group. Not that he's looking for the attention.

 

"I don't like being in the spotlight," he admits. "I want to sit back, lay low and just handle my business and let things come my way. I'll let them have the spotlight."

[colbyjack]

No Brewers appeared in this evening's Javelinas game.

[colbyjack]

Periard gets rocked again; Palmisano goes 0-2; Cain goes 0-4.

 

Welch and Aguilar both pitch a perfect frame (Aguilar has been one of the more exciting stories this fall):

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_11_05_surwin_perwin_1

[colbyjack]

Lou Palmisano had a nice game today, going 1-3 with an RBI single and a sac fly. He did strike out twice, but that's some fine run production for a catcher that handled four different pitchers as part of a 7-0 shutout of the Surprise Rafters.

 

Brent Brewer recorded his first two hits of the AFL, including a double, going 2-4 with a run scored and two Ks of his own. He played third base in today's contest, and has yet to commit an error.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_11_06_perwin_surwin_1

[colbyjack]

Lorenzo Cain started in LF today and went 1-4 with a RBI single as the Javelinas mounted a late "rally," avoiding a 13-0 shutout by scoring 4 runs in the 9th. Brent Brewer replaced Carlos Truinfel late in the game and went 0-2 with a K.

 

David Welch pitched the 6th and 7th innings, giving up a pair of hits while striking out a pair, and Omar Aguilar followed him in the 9th, with a scoreless frame of his own. Aguilar wasn't as sharp today as he has been, as only 12 of his 23 pitches went for strikes, yet he only gave up one walk and struck out two. He has yet to give up an earned run over eight appearances.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_11_07_perwin_peswin_1

[colbyjack]

No Brewers made it into today's AFL contest. No game tomorrow, as the league is off on Sundays.

[colbyjack]

It's nice to have a Brewers farmhand featured as the top story in an AFL game this year, since there hasn't been a ton to cheer about this fall.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2008/11/10/FVwI6Bk3.jpg

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/a...=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

 

Cain rises as Javs beat Solar Sox

Brewers prospect homers twice on perfect day at dish

 

Brewers prospect Lorenzo Cain belted two home runs and collected five RBIs on a 4-for-4 day at the plate Monday as the Peoria Javelinas outslugged the Mesa Solar Sox, 13-9. Cain hit a two-run shot to center field in the first inning and a two-run homer to right in the ninth. The Javelinas right fielder, who averaged .279 with 11 home runs across three levels in 2008, fell a triple short of the cycle.

 

The 22-year-old crossed the plate three times. He lined a single in the fifth, doubled to left in the seventh and also worked a third-inning walk.

 

Yankees prospect Juan Miranda and Lou Palmisano (Brewers) both smacked two-run homers and Rhyne Hughes (Rays) added a solo shot. Valaika (Reds) was driven in three times by Cain.

 

Mariners righty Gaby Hernandez (1-4) gave up four runs on six hits, striking out two and walking two in four innings to pick up his first win in Arizona for the Javelinas (12-17).

 

Robert Manuel (Reds) and Omar Aguilar (Brewers) kept the Solar Sox off the scoreboard for the final two frames.

 

Logan Morrison (Marlins), who leads the Arizona Fall League with a .443 batting average, knocked in three runs for Mesa (18-11) to boost his fall total to 25. Phillies farmhand Jeremy Slayden had three hits, including a double, and three RBIs.

 

Jason Donald (Phillies) and Scott Cousins (Marlins) each had two hits, two runs and a walk, and Darwin Barney (Cubs) and Casper Wells (Tigers) added two hits apiece.

 

Phillies right-hander Andrew Carpenter (0-2) allowed six runs on seven hits and a pair of walks, striking out three, over four innings for the loss.

 

Box Score:

Cain is now hitting .364/.404/.682 in 44 AFL ABs. I know some people, myself included, have been hard on the winter ballers so far, but Lou Palmisano is having a nice little stint in the AFL. Omar Aguilar is as well, who still has not given up an earned run, and he has appeared in three of the Javelinas past five games. You have to wonder if the Brewers have asked for him to be used more in an attempt to get him ready for life in the big-leagues. Brent Brewer played 3B again and went 1-5 with a double and a pair of strikeouts.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_11_10_perwin_msswin_1

[twobrewers]

How much CF has Cain played in the AFL?

Does he have the defensive prowess to stick at CF...

[colbyjack]

Cain has played LF and RF almost exclusively, as you would need to check back through the box scores to see if he's appeared in CF. Maybe in one game, but the Yankees top prospect, Austin Jackson, is the Javelinas everyday CF, and I don't recall him missing many games this fall.

 

He played CF to end both this year and last season, and many seem to believe that the only reason he was playing RF the past few years was due to the presence of other players in the system. He could, and probably will be the everyday CF next year at Huntsville. BA reported a year ago that he can play CF "in a pinch," but I don't think his skills in CF are that shaky. Quite the opposite actually, he just needs more experience there.

[twobrewers]

Thanks Colby -

I looked through a few box scores as saw at least one day in CF. It is hard to fathom why the Brewers haven't gotten Cain (And Brantley) more playing time in CF to develop.

They both have (had) the highest ceilings at CF, but I suppose some other plays had no ceiling if not at centerfield. (Such as Ford)

[jjfanec]

Cain and Aguilar have made this a much better Fall League season. Cain's game seems to be catching up with his athletic ability. I think he will play much more CF with Darren Ford and Brantley no longer in the system. Aguilar has been sharp and it would be great to our system produce some solid relievers, especially with the price of relief pitching these days. Green was also producing until the unfortunate injury so those three have made up for Jeffress struggles and getting shut down, and Gamel and Salome not being able to participate.

The positive is if Cain can stick at CF the position we are pretty thin at in the minors have shown up well in the AFL. Green being a 2b/3b guy, Cain at CF, and Aguilar as a reliever, now if some of the starters like Jeffress and Scarpetta would have fared better it would have been a really good fall in my mind.

[colbyjack]

Lorenzo Cain continued his hot hitting going 2-4 with a K, bumping his fall average to .375.

 

Alexandre Periard got the start today and pitched well, very well when you consider how bad his last three outings have been (14 ER in 5 IP). He still needs to cut down on the walks, but he only gave up one ER in 4 innings of work, and was in line for the win if it weren't for Mesa scoring 6 runs over the final two frames.

 

David Welch had an extended relief appearance coming in after Periard. He went 3 innings, giving up 3 hits and 1 ER. Unlike Periard, Welch's line isn't too bad considering he has really had only one bad outing. If you take out an inning of his work from October 23rd in which he gave up 4 ER, his ERA this fall is 2.92. The law of averages of course doesn't allow that, so we have to live with his current 5.40 mark.

 

Not sure about his move to the plate, or to first base, but he did pick off a runner today and the only stolen base attempt against him was also wiped out.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_11_11_msswin_perwin_1

[colbyjack]

In addition to Austin Jackson, I forgot about two other talented outfielders on the Javelinas roster that are all fighting for playing time, Drew Stubbs and Desmond Jennings. Both are top prospects with the Reds and Rays organizations respectively.

 

Anyway, Cain didn't play today, nor did any other Brewers farmhand as the Javelinas fell to the Saguaros 3-2.

[wvpowerblkwel]

Cain with another HR tonite! he is 1 for 1 in the forth inning...average up to .388!!! Is this guy finally due for the break out year and does he turn into Eric Davis? Be okay by me!!! Strikes out swinging in second ab...that's 5 HR in 50 ABs....

[colbyjack]

A nice feature on Lorenzo Cain, and all of the Brewers that have participated in the AFL, is up on MLB.com:

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2008/11/13/CPPkkgnz.jpg

 

Cain proving able with Javelinas

A look at Brewers' prospects in the Arizona Fall League

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/a...ws_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

 

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The trickle-down effect of the July 7 trade between the Milwaukee Brewers and Cleveland Indians that sent ace southpaw CC Sabathia to the Indians was felt all the way to the 2008 Arizona Fall League's Peoria Javelinas squad.

 

When the original deal was struck, it saw Sabathia come over to Milwaukee for outfielder Matt LaPorta, right-hander Rob Bryson and lefty Zach Jackson, plus the ever-popular player to be named later.

 

Initially, a few names were bandied about, among them third baseman Taylor Green and outfielders Michael Brantley and Lorenzo Cain.

 

Green, the Brewers' 25th-round pick in 2005 out of Cypress College in California, was the organization's Minor League Player of the Year in 2007 when he hit .327 with 14 homers and 86 RBIs at Class A West Virginia. He batted .289 with 15 homers and 73 RBIs in 2008 at Class A Advanced Brevard County, making the midseason Florida State League All-Star team for the host Manatees and finishing runner-up in the Home Run Derby.

 

Cain, a 2004 17th-round pick who signed as a draft-and-follow in 2005 out of Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College, played all three outfield positions in 2008 between Brevard and Double-A Huntsville, combining to hit .279 with 11 homers, 60 RBIs, 31 doubles and 25 steals.

 

Brantley, the son of former big leaguer and coach Mickey Brantley, batted .319 with 28 steals this season at Huntsville at age 21.

 

When the official announcement was made Oct. 3 that the Indians had acquired Brantley to complete the trade, it set off a sequence of roster moves that affected the Javelinas, just four days before the AFL got started.

 

Green immediately was added to the roster to replace injured third baseman Mat Gamel, and Cain took the spot that would have gone to Brantley had he remained with Milwaukee.

 

While the Brewers are loaded with talent in their system, Cain is one of their most intriguing sleepers. In his pro debut in the Arizona League in 2005, he was named the circuit's MVP after hitting .356 with five homers, 37 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.

 

The next summer, his first full season, he batted .307 with 34 steals at West Virginia and led the South Atlantic League with 162 hits. In 2007 at Brevard County, he hit .276 with 24 steals.

 

He was continuing to refine his game at Brevard County when news of the Sabathia trade came down, and with it the whispered rumors that both he and Green were on the short list to become future Indians.

 

"At first, my agent was telling me I was in the trade talks, so it was kind of shocking, but things like that happen, so I was ready to deal with it no matter what," said the 22-year-old, who has been playing left field for the Javs. "Right before I moved up to Huntsville, I found out that I was out of the trade talks and I was happy. I just focused on baseball and tried to go out and play hard every day."

 

In fact, Cain already was back home in Madison, Fla., just south of the Georgia border, relaxing and recovering from a mild hamstring strain that had shut him down in mid-August when the deal was finalized. Almost immediately, the Brewers called him to see if he'd be able to join them in Arizona on such short notice.

 

"They gave me a choice and I said I was ready to go," he said. "At first, I wasn't supposed to do anything over the offseason except go home, work out, get stronger and gain a little weight. But we felt this would be the best thing for me, and since my hamstring healed I've been doing well so I'd say it's been working out."

 

A little understatement from the soft-spoken Cain.

 

After spending about a week working with trainer Tommy Craig to make sure the hamstring was good to go, Cain got into the lineup on Oct. 13 and has been one of the Javelinas' most feared hitters since then. He's hitting .375 with four homers, 10 RBIs and three steals in 14 games.

 

Green's AFL story doesn't have quite as happy an ending.

 

His campaign ended abruptly on Oct. 21 when, facing the Peoria Saguaros, St. Louis Cardinals prospect Tyler Norrick came inside with a pitch that hit Green in the face, breaking his nose.

 

The story didn't end right there, though it would have for most players.

 

Green, a Canadian whose biggest boosters especially love his "hockey mentality," was ready to trot down to first base and stay in the game with that broken nose. Even after he was held out for a few days and diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture, he was taking infield, ready to play, when a bad hop bouncer hit him -- where else -- in the nose.

 

"We were taking infield and the ball popped up and hit him in the nose," Cain recalled. "It was like, 'Wow, of all things, that ball had to hit him there.'"

 

This time, Green was shut down and underwent surgery. He will, of course, be back to his usual scrappy self in time for Spring Training.

 

But it certainly was an eventful year for the converted third baseman, who did all he could to stay focused on his job at hand and not the possible change of address.

 

"At first, I was kind of on the verge of wanting to know, but after a bit I got used to it," he said. "I was happy to see Michael get a great opportunity and wish the best of luck to him."

 

Over the first two weeks of the season, Green was concentrating primarily on the shift from second base to third, though with the Brewers' glut of infielders, his future down the road could be as a do-it-all utility infielder.

 

"It's a great opportunity," said Green, who was batting .333 in seven games when he was shut down, "and you have to take advantage of every opportunity you get."

 

Other Brewers in the AFL

 

IF Brent Brewer, who may have one of the most appropriate names in the game, was added to the Javelinas roster to replace Green. But Milwaukee didn't make the speedy shortstop a second-round pick in 2006 just because of his moniker. While his bat is coming around, he's a serious threat on the basepaths with 42 steals in 2007 at West Virginia and 31 this season between West Virginia and Brevard County. Though he hit just .213 to start the season with the Power, he batted .251 with the Manatees down the stretch. With Peoria, he was hitting .188 in five games.

 

RHP Alex Periard, known to his teammates and coaches as "Frenchy," hails from Montreal and was a 16th-round pick out of high school in 2004. He was 11-10 with a 4.06 ERA over 150 2/3 innings this season between Brevard County and Huntsville, tying for third in the system in wins and eighth in ERA. At Peoria, he was 0-2 with a 9.42 ERA and 11 strikeouts against 11 walks over 14 2/3 innings.

 

RHP Omar Aguilar could emerge as one of the top closer prospects in the organization and was showing why in Peoria as he'd yet to allow an earned run in nine games, fanning eight in 9 2/3 innings. His 17 saves between Brevard County and Huntsville ranked second in the system, and he combined for a 1.98 ERA and .177 opponents' average. After posting an 0.35 ERA for the Manatees, the 30th-round draft-and-follow sign from 2005 moved up to Huntsville, where he boasted a respectable 3.08 ERA.

 

LHP David Welch, an Australia-born starter, was 11-4 with a 3.90 ERA at Huntsville in 2008, ranking second in the Southern League in wins and sixth in the Brewers system in ERA. He had a 3.43 ERA at Brevard County in 2007 and a 2.41 mark at West Virginia in 2006, so he's moved steadily and effectively up the ladder. With Peoria, he has a 5.40 ERA in 13 1/3 innings over 10 games.

 

LHP Brae Wright has been on the taxi squad at Peoria after throwing 170 2/3 innings for Huntsville in 2008. His 3.59 ERA was fourth in the organization and seventh in the Southern League. A 2006 sixth-round pick out of Oklahoma State, he was second among Brewers pitchers with 120 strikeouts. At Peoria, he was shut down after seven games with a 5.87 ERA.

 

C Lou Palmisano also began the year on the Javelinas' taxi squad, though he saw more active time as he filled in for missing or injured catchers both with the Javs and Mesa. He finally was activated for good when Angel Salome went home with a sore shoulder after just one game. Palmisano is on the comeback trail from knee surgery that cost him most of 2008, as he hit .297 with two homers in 27 games. He batted .256 with 11 homers and 63 RBIs at Huntsville in 2007 before the injury. Overall in Arizona, he was putting himself back on the map with a .324 average in 12 games.

 

RHP Jeremy Jeffress was shut down with shoulder fatigue after his third AFL outing on Oct. 21, having posted a 12.83 ERA (though that more than doubled in the rough final outing in which he gave up six runs in less than an inning). The Brewers' 2008 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, he struck out 115 over 94 innings with a 4.31 ERA, mostly at Brevard but with a brief promotion to Huntsville. The club's top pick in 2006 out of high school in Virginia, his fastball is consistently clocked in the mid- to high-90s and sometimes triple digits. He's been working on his curveball and changeup to offset that heat while coming back from the onus of a few suspensions for non-performance-enhancing substances. He's just 21 and has a huge upside.

[colbyjack]

As noted above, Lorenzo Cain hit his 5th HR of the fall, a solo shot with 2 out in the 2nd inning. He also walked once and struk out once, and was 1-3 in the game. Lou Palmisano also continues to swing a hot bat, going 2-3 with a pair of doubles, his 4th and 5th this fall, while scoring a run, driving in a run and striking out once. Omar Aguilar recorded his second save this fall, as he continues to get more frequent work, by working yet another scoreless 9th inning. He did give up a hit, but he struck out 2 batters. 10 of his 13 pitches went for strikes.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_11_13_peswin_perwin_1

[colbyjack]

Brent Brewer joins the fun today while playing 3B, going 2-4 with a solo HR in the 4th, a stolen base and 2 runs scored. Nice to see him have a nice day. No Ks, no Es.

 

Lorenzo Cain led off today and played RF, going 1-5 with a double, a stolen base, a run scored and a pair of Ks.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_11_14_surwin_perwin_1