Minor League Camp Updates -- Latest: More spring training boxes

[Mass Haas]

Friday's box

Only Marco Estrada (two scoreless innings) and Hunter Morris (0-for-1, groundout) from minor league camp.

[Mass Haas]

Brewers 2, Angels 1 (box)

RHP Mike Fiers (Cory Provus pronounced it "Fears", we'll go with that) retired his one batter in Takashi Saito's inning; and RHP Frankie De La Cruz retired the side in order with two K's.

 

Very young SS Yadiel Rivera made a fielding error on the first play after he entered the game in the 8th (the ball will find you), and grounded into a force out in his lone AB. Scooter Gennett walked, and Brendan Katin lined a single, in their lone plate appearances.

[TheCrew07]

It sure would be nice if Farris would get some playing time at SS, I still think he profiles best as a utility player. Regardless, I'm not sure he has a future at 2B in Milwaukee with Weeks in front of him and Gennett behind him, both of whom are much better hitters. Gennett hit for a .817 OPS last season, at the same level in 2008 Farris only put up a .709, and that's with a .293 BA. People thought Escobar had a weak bat but Farris was worst of hitter of the top 4 players on the 2B depth chart last season. Lawrie is gone, but if Gennett continues to impress with his bat and Weeks stays healthy I don't see how Farris fits at 2B because Gennett will be ready before Weeks' contract is up.

 

Right now Farris is a utility player without any utility... I sincerely hope the Brewers figure out a way to make him a more flexible player position wise because he's strong fundamentally all the way around and could definitely be an asset for the MLB team down the road.

[DHonks]

just to point things out, he did play SS on Friday, I think. And apparently the Brewers (according to Haudricourt) may plan to shift him around on defense

[Mass Haas]

Split squad Sunday --

Athletics 5, Brewers 4 (box)

RHP Donovan Hand (don't sleep on this soon-to-be 25-year-old) gets out of a bases-loaded, one-out situation upon coming in, while RHP Josh Butler takes the loss, allowing two inherited runners to score and then one of his own in a tough 8th inning.

 

2B Scooter Gennett now has reached four times in seven spring plate appearances, OF Erik Komatsu in four-of six PA's. 3B Cutter Dykstra is now 0-for-3 on the spring, and SS Carlos George had an RBI single, but also committed two errors (one throwing, one fielding) immediately upon entering the game in the 6th -- only one unearned run scored in that frame as big league camper Roque Mercedes and Hand limited the damage.

 

Rangers 8, Brewers 1 (box)

OF Lee Haydel singled and is now 2-for-3 on the spring; Hunter Morris (0-for-1, K) spelled Prince Fielder at first base, now 2-for-4; D'Vontrey Richardson 0-for-1 as the DH, now 0-for-3.

[Mass Haas]

Brewers 15, Reds 2 (box)

All at the plate -- Taylor Green RBI single, Hunter Morris, Brendan Katin, and Brandon Jones 0-for-1.

[Mass Haas]

The J-S on Rule 5'er Pat Egan

[Mass Haas]

Dodgers 7, Brewers 1 (box)

Only three non big league camp players, all RHP's -- an inning to forget for Eulogio De la Cruz, two baserunners but no runs allowed by Marco Estrada in his inning, and Mike Fiers continues to impress, pitching around a leadoff double in a scoreless frame, fanning one.

[Mass Haas]

Jim at Bernie's Crew has been doing a nice job with his Prospect Madness tournament. Keep an eye on the blog in the coming days and help make the vote totals meaningful.

[battlekow]

Chris Mehring puts Scooter Gennett in the intimidating Interrogation Room.

Also, Adam McCalvy has some tidbits on Logan Schafer and Caleb Gindl:

From the "small world" department of Spring Training, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke revealed his family has history with Brewers outfield prospect Logan Schafer.

Schafer and Roenicke's nephew, Jason, were both at Cuesta Community College in 2006, vying for the Cougars' fifth and final outfield spot. Schafer won the battle, so Jason Roenicke switched to pitching in order to stay with the team, and was drafted by the Reds the following year and by the Blue Jays in 2008. He pitched in Toronto's Minor League system in 2008 and 2009, spent 2010 in the independent Frontier League and is in Phoenix this week trying to land a job for 2011.

Schafer transferred to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for the 2007 season and was the Brewers' third-round Draft pick in 2008. He and fellow prospect Caleb Gindl have stood out for Ron Roenicke this spring.

"I haven't seen [schafer] offensively enough to get a really good feel for him, but defensively, I really like him," Roenicke said. "He's really confident. When the ball is hit, he's moving and he knows exactly where the ball is coming down."

And Gindl?

"Gindl, in all areas of the game, I like," Roenicke said. "We're facing big league [pitchers] that some of our guys aren't looking good against, and he hangs in there and sees the ball really good. He's got a nice swing. He drives the ball. And he's a good outfielder."

Gindl impressed with a throw home from right field in Sunday's split-squad loss to the A's that should have prevented the go-ahead run from scoring, according to Roenicke. Plate umpire Brian Runge called the runner safe.

[Mass Haas]

Rockies 9, Brewers 8, ten innings

RHP David Johnson's tough spring continued with a poor 10th inning effort, RHP Mike Fiers settled things down, but the damage was done.

 

All other participants were members of big league camp.

[LouisEly]

"I haven't seen [schafer] offensively enough to get a really good feel for him, but defensively, I really like him," Roenicke said. "He's really confident. When the ball is hit, he's moving and he knows exactly where the ball is coming down."

 

I like this. Schafer posted 13 assists in 2009, suggesting he has a decent arm too. Sounds like he's a plus defender, so if he can be average offensively he could be overall an above-average CF.

[Mass Haas]

Brewers 4, A's 3 (box)

First baseman Sean Halton with a single in his lone AB, and a nice foul pop catch on the final play of the game. Halton should mash at Huntsville, at least slugging-wise.

 

Everyone else from big league camp.

[Mass Haas]

Grant from the J-S ASU staff with a peek at minor league camp

[Mass Haas]

Brewers 4, A's 3 (box)

First baseman Sean Halton with a single in his lone AB, and a nice foul pop catch on the final play of the game. Halton should mash at Huntsville, at least slugging-wise.

Halton, listed at 240 in last year's media guide and at MiLB.com, is now listed at 6'5", 265 in the 2011 guide.

[Mass Haas]

Always love watching the updates on the prior year's high school draft picks. 36th round RHP R.J. Johnson was listed at 6'3", 185 on draft day, now listed at 6'5", 224.

[Mass Haas]

More fun with the media guide -- Brevard LHP Brandon Ritchie now listed at 6'5", 270.

 

That's literally almost twice the size of our favorite Mighty Mike (Marseco), listed at 5'10", 140. Marseco was listed at 155 last spring.

 

***

 

Forgot that 2010 18th rounder Thomas Keeling out of Oklahoma State walked 23 in 7.2 innings last year (21.13 ERA). That's actually a higher rate than RHP Santo Manzanillo's infamous 2006 debut in Maryvale, when he walked 47 in 16.1 innings (13.22 ERA). There's hope for Keeling, as Manzanillo remains in the system five years later. But Keeling is actually nine months older than Santo still, though. Ouch...

[Mass Haas]

Still only 18, SS Yadiel Rivera (we've seen some nice comments from player development staff) is now listed at 6'3", 181. Please don't grow out of the prototype SS mold -- any taller will be pushing it...

[Mass Haas]

if anyone is at a minor league spring training game, it would be nice if they could confirm if Shawn Zarraga is now a switch hitter. We've seen no mention of him as a switch hitter from scouting reports, but last year an "insider" on this site defended him by saying that he was now batting both ways.

Media guide now says switch-hitter, first time in Shawn's career. It also says that Zarraga is now carrying 260 pounds on his 6'0" frame.

 

 

[Mass Haas]

Our completely sortable (column headings) and filterable (try it!) Brewerfan Player Index now reflects height and weight information matching the 2011 media guide.

 

I have to admit that a few years had passed since we completed such an update on a player-by-player basis. When Erick Amonte joined the Brewers organization in 2009, we plugged in his weight via his Baseball Reference page, which (still) lists him at 180. Sixty-six pounds later, you'll see Almonte now at 246. Wily Peralta and Amaury Rvas have added over 30 pounds each since we last updated their profiles from their early days in the system as young (and hungry!) Latin signees. We'll be sure to go through this exercise every year now.

 

Nine out of every ten updates was to add weight to a player as these young high school and college draft picks matured into minor leaguers in their 3rd and 4th seasons. It's a big boys' game now. Have fun with the Index. It will allow us to be more accurate when discussing and assessing individual players during the upcoming Link Report season.

[battlekow]

Adam McCalvy:

It appears that there is good news on Minor League left fielder Caleb Gindl, who sprained his right knee in a scary moment along the foul line Sunday.

Gindl was chasing what should have been Alcides Escobar's second-inning double when he turned an ankle and tried to grab the top of the chain-link fence that separates the playing field from the visitor's bullpen. Gindl happened to grab an unlocked gate and went right through it, twisting his knee. Gindl stayed down while Escobar circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run. Center fielder Carlos Gomez rushed over and signaled to the Brewers' dugout for help.

Gindl was able to stand, and walked into the Royals bullpen to be examined. The Brewers said he would be evaluated Monday.

"Nothing too serious," Gindl said after the Brewers' wrapped-up a 7-5 win. "I feel a lot better now than I did down there, because down there the pain was pretty severe. I was really worried. Once I came inside and we got some ice on it, it was much better."

[Mass Haas]

Big Sean Halton singled and walked as the lone minor league camp rep Sunday. He's 3-for-4 with that walk for the spring.

[CheezWizHed]

Still only 18, SS Yadiel Rivera (we've seen some nice comments from player development staff) is now listed at 6'3", 181. Please don't grow out of the prototype SS mold -- any taller will be pushing it...

 

Whats the knock on a tall SS? Doesn't scoop ground balls as easily?

 

Halton, listed at 240 in last year's media guide and at MiLB.com, is now listed at 6'5", 265 in the 2011 guide.

 

So we don't have someone to fill Prince's shoes, but Halton should be able to handle his belt...

[battlekow]

Adam McCalvy:

More worrying was the loss of [Logan] Schafer, a top prospect who appeared to Roenicke to seriously injure his right thumb sliding into Giants shortstop Miguel Tejada at second base.

The Brewers didn't have any further information about either player at the end of a 12-8 win over the Giants. Nor did the club make any pronouncements about another prospect, Caleb Gindl, who sprained his right knee Sunday crashing into a chain-link fence along the left-field line at Maryvale Baseball Park. Gindl said he was scheduled for an MRI scan.

[brewmann04]

hope it not broken or torn ligaments he was having a good spring. He was looking like guy who could take over cf in the near future.