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The 2007 Arizona Fall League Thread -- LaPorta # 4 AFL propect

Mass Haas

By Mass Haas,
in Brewers Minor League Talk

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And That Nashville Sounds

And That

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Not trying to slight Stetter here, but he is the oldest guy on the team and I'm guessing one of the older guys in the league. Still, if he can get opposing lefties out, he'll have a job. And 27 (going into next season) really isn't that old for a reliever.

 

LaPorta and Palmisano each 1-3 with a walk. LaPorta also K'd and had his first professional stolen base.

@YouKnowAndThat | Almost, Tim Dell
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Mass Haas GOAT

Mass Haas

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Matt LaPorta cranks a three-run blast, his third of the AFL season, and leads the league in RBI with 12. Matt also walked, and did not K. Steve Sollmann with his first base hit, and Steve Hammond allowed two earned runs in his four-inning start. Mesa rolls, 9-2.

 

MiLB.com Photo by Melissa Wintemute

http://www.mlb.com/images/2007/10/20/YXuarMHJ.jpg

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colbyjack Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

colbyjack

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A nice story by BA's Chris Kline covering Matt LaPorta in the AFL. AA hitting coach Sandy Guerrero has challenged LaPorta to try to hit the other ball more often, plus a comment about where LaPorta may begin the 2008 season:

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=633

 

Arizona Fall League Notebook: Oct. 21

 

SURPRISE, Ariz.-Mesa Solar Sox hitting coach Sandy Guerrero stood around the cage and waited for Matt LaPorta to begin his batting practice in the final group of hitters before Saturday's game against the Surprise Rafters.

 

Except that wasn't a fungo Guerrero was holding-he was waiting to get his licks in Group Four against Chad Epperson as well.

 

This was all part of Guerrero's plan-challenge LaPorta to a BP home run duel. The only catch? The righthanded-hitting LaPorta, the Brewers' 2007 first-round pick out of Florida, had to drive the ball out to right field while the lefthanded-hitting Guerrero, who last played at the Triple-A level in 1992, could poke balls over the right field wall.

 

That's the game within the game for LaPorta these days in the Arizona Fall League-hit the ball to the right side of the field with power.

 

"He's such a strong kid and he has such a good swing, but he still doesn't know how strong he can be," Guerrero said.

 

"What I'm trying to do with that is 'OK, we have to hit it to right field.' My chances are limited considering I'm not a very strong guy and I have a totally different kind of swing. But I have the approach where if I really concentrate I can still do it too."

 

After LaPorta drove one ball to right-center in his first round, Guerrero lifted one over the right field wall-but LaPorta wasn't watching and needed verification from Cubs outfielder Sam Fuld.

 

"You have to make sure," LaPorta said. "He's always trying to find new ways to push my buttons."

 

Which is exactly what Guerrero, who has served as the hitting coach at Double-A Huntsville the last five seasons, is trying to do-keep Milwaukee's $2 million-dollar investment interested while making him a much more complete hitter in the process.

 

"We want to get him to compete at the Double-A level (in 2008) and I know pitchers in the Southern League command the outside part of the plate well," Guerrero said. "He's quick enough to hit anything inside. My job is to get him to look for that outside pitch and show the ability to hit it over there. In preparing him for that, I don't want him to get bored. So we have the dinner challenge. And it's 200 or 300 percent more difficult for him to hit one here than me, but that's the point. I want to get the most out of him.

 

"Good hitters in the big leagues can hit balls all over the zone out to all fields and he has that ability. He doesn't know he has it yet. He's still learning about himself. He didn't get full extension on his swing before his time in this league. He would hit the ball out in front and live off that pull power. Now, he's allowing balls to get deeper in the zone and hitting for power to all fields."

 

After five rounds, the student and mentor wound up tied 1-1, which was good enough for a free dinner for Guerrero.

 

LaPorta, who was hampered by injuries over his last two seasons with the Gators, has always been an outstanding power hitter. He led the nation in home runs as a sophomore in 2005, slugging 26 to set a school record. After the Red Sox failed to meet his bonus demands as a 14th-rounder in 2006, he returned to Gainesville again, and again led NCAA Division-I hitters with a .579 slugging percentage and a 1.432 OPS.

 

LaPorta then came into pro ball on fire, hitting 304/.369/.696 with 12 home runs in his 115 at-bat debut, finishing the season at low Class A West Virginia.

 

"This is an opportunity to play with the best players in professional baseball and I'm not about to take that for granted," LaPorta said. "When I leave the field, I want people to say I played every game like it was my last. I think running out every ground ball and playing the game the right way really shows your character and what type of person you are off the field as well.

 

"We're trying to let the ball get deeper at times. Now you're hitting with wood and you've got to really learn how to drive it with wood. With aluminum you can flick your wrists and the ball will go out of the yard. I don't want to be that type of hitter anymore. I want to be a professional hitter."

 

On top of continuing to discover who he is as a professional hitter, LaPorta is also learning a new position-left field.

 

"He's still learning how to get good jumps, run good routes and what it takes to play the outfield every day," Guerrero said. "It's sometimes easy for a first-rounder to coast in this league. I can guarantee he will not coast in any phase of his game out here. He knows I won't allow that to happen. We have too much work to do."

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homer MVP

homer

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Nice article. The more I read about LaPorta the more I like him as a person and a player.
"Dustin Pedroia doesn't have the strength or bat speed to hit major-league pitching consistently, and he has no power......He probably has a future as a backup infielder if he can stop rolling over to third base and shortstop." Keith Law, 2006
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Mass Haas GOAT

Mass Haas

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Mesa ties, 3-3 -- ended after 11 innings as per AFL rules

 

Matt LaPorta on base three times, Lou Palmisano two base hits and a sacrifice fly, Adam Heether 0-for-5 with a walk; Dave Johnson (an unearned run), Tim Dillard, and Mitch Stetter all make appearances -- click on "Log" starting in the 7th to follow their efforts. Stetter strands inherited runners with a huge game-saving double play in the 9th and gets out of one-out trouble in the 10th as well -- Stetter has now faced 10 LH batters (0-for-9 with 8 K's, one BB).

 

http://www.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2007_10_22_msswin_pddwin_1

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Mass Haas GOAT

Mass Haas

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Another nice Player Journal from LHP Steve Hammond, nifty pic in his Solar Sox cap as well:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071024&content_id=317538&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp

 

In three starts thus far, Steve Hammond is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA for Mesa. (MiLB.com Photo by Melissa Wintemute)

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2007/10/24/3jrvNXQf.jpg

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colbyjack Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

colbyjack

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The Rising Stars of the AFL are squaring off this evening, with the West vs. the East. As noted earlier in this thread, Matt LaPorta (who walked in the first inning, game started at 9pm CST) and Mitch Stetter were named to this top prospect team (not a true All-Star game).

 

You can follow the game via MiLB.com's gameday/gametracker, since I'm sure most of you have nothing better to do on a Friday night http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif:

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/y2007/gd.html?2007_10_26_afewin_afwwin_1

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Kevbo74 College Ball

Kevbo74

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I brought the wrong camera with me, and had to leave early (kids), but I got some shots of a nice LaPorta strikeout.

Thought I'd share, and sorry I didn't get any better ones, but I promise to work on that.

 

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e196/Kevbo74/aflLaPorta.jpg

 

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e196/Kevbo74/AflLaPorta2.jpg

 

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e196/Kevbo74/AflLaPorta3.jpg

 

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e196/Kevbo74/aflLaPorta4.jpg

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Mass Haas GOAT

Mass Haas

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Matt LaPorta was 1-for-3 with a walk and two K's in the showcase game Friday night. Mitch Stetter was brought on for a potential save in the 3-2 10-inning win, but went fly out, HBP, walk. He was bailed out to end the game.

 

http://www.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2007_10_26_afewin_afwwin_1

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Mass Haas GOAT

Mass Haas

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Mesa shut out, 7-0, on Saturday

 

Steve Hammond had his first rough outing of the fall season, allowing six runs (five hits, two HBP's) in three innings. Dave Johnson continues to impress with a 1-2-3 7th. Tim Dillard with a clean 9th, getting a double play grounder after a leadoff walk.

 

Matt LaPorta was on base twice, also K'd twice (.254/.371/.508, .880 OPS in 59 AB's, 11 BB's, 17 K's). Small sample alert, but he's surprisingly only 2-for-15 vs. AFL lefty's thus far.

 

Steve Sollmann was 0-for-3 with a HBP, his 3rd plunking (now 2-for-18, no BB's).

 

http://www.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2007_10_27_perwin_msswin_1

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Mass Haas GOAT

Mass Haas

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Matt LaPorta will be interviewed at noon Sunday via this link at Baseball Digest Daily:

 

http://bdd.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2007/10/28/3317698.html

 

The show will archive for listening later on at:

 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/baseballdigestdaily

 

This week on BDD Talk Radio...

Milwaukee Brewers 2007 #1 draft pick and super-prospect Matt LaPorta updates us on his progress from the Arizona Fall League. Plus...World Series updates and special guests JC Bradbury of Sabernomics.com and Ben of River Ave. Blues join us to talk about everything from HGH to the New York Yankees managerial search.

Click on the link below to listen to the show live at 1:00 PM ET on Sunday.

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Mass Haas GOAT

Mass Haas

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Trailing 7-2 after seven innings, and 12-6 heading to the bottom of the 9th, Mesa scores seven to win 13-12 --

 

Adam Heether with a triple and a walk, Mitch Stetter another scoreless inning (12 K's in 6.2 IP). Matt LaPorta the day off.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2007_10_29_peswin_msswin_1

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Mass Haas GOAT

Mass Haas

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Mesa loses 10-7, but...

 

Matt LaPorta (his 4th, a two-run shot to left) and Adam Heether (his 1st, solo to left) each homer.

 

LaPorta also doubles and walks, scoring three runs. He committed his first error in left field. Heether also walked.

 

Dave Johnson was touched up in his one inning, allowing four singles and three runs, two earned.

 

EDIT: Steve Sollmann 1-for-5 with a SB...

 

http://www.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2007_10_31_msswin_perwin_1

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