Link Report Thurs. 6/21 - Final Update: Praise for Jeffress

[Mass Haas]

Listen to Steve Wendt's call of Lee Haydel's game-ending catch here -- go to the KCAP audio's at the 2 hour, 52 minute mark - be sure you're on the June 21st date archives:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

 

Helena KCAP Pre-Game Audio Chat with Brewer Minor League Pitching Coordinator Jim Rooney is available at the same link (5:30 minute mark).

[Mass Haas]

From Wednesday night (go the audio links by "selecting date" June 20th), Helena KCAP pre-game interview with Asst. Scouting Director Tony Blengino (7:15 minute mark):

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

 

I will remind Helena staff that the audio quality of the pre-game interviews needs quite a bit of improvement. Play-by-play audio quality is fine.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/story/S...Power+win/

 

Jeffress dominant again in Power win

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

Yovani Gallardo and Will Inman are the Milwaukee Brewers' top two pitching prospects.

 

West Virginia Power pitching coach John Curtis said Jeremy Jeffress has a bit of both of them in him.

 

Curtis contends Jeffress, the Brewers' third-ranked pitching prospect, has a still-developing combination of Gallardo's intelligence and Inman's aggressiveness.

 

With intangibles such as those, not to mention a fastball that can hit 100 mph on radar guns, it is no wonder Jeffress has dominated South Atlantic League hitters since he arrived to Charleston four weeks ago.

 

Jeffress continued his impressive full-season debut Thursday night in West Virginia's 9-0 victory over visiting Kannapolis in front of a season-high crowd of 7,458 at Appalachian Power Park.

 

Jeffress improved his record to 4-0, and lowered his earned run average to 1.14 in his fifth start for the Brewers' low Class A affiliate.

 

Gallardo pitched for the Power in 2005 and was called up to the Majors by the Brewers last week. Inman starred for West Virginia last season.

 

"He came here armed with a lot of talent," Curtis said of Jeffress, a 6-foot, 175-pound right-hander whom the Brewers selected in the first round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft with the 16th overall pick.

 

"I think the other things are his composure and his competitiveness. He is a competitor, but he doesn't get carried away with the moment and he doesn't get carried away with his fastball. He stays inside himself very well for a kid with that kind of arm.

 

"Jeremy is not unlike Yovani when he was here, and that is high praise. What Yovani had that Jeremy is just starting to try on for size is a pitching mentality. Yovani had a 30-year-old head on top of those shoulders. Jeremy is getting there. He is understanding what he needs to do to get people out."

 

Like Inman, Jeffress also has a "bulldog attitude," Curtis said. "He doesn't back down from anybody. He is a competitor."

 

"(Fellow first-round draft pick and pitching prospect) Mark Rogers, for example, when he was here (in 2005), he wasn't used to guys making contact. He had always blown people away in high school.

 

"I know that was much the same for Jeremy. But he is learning to deal with guys fouling off pitches and getting hits. Pitchers are here to get hit, basically, and he is doing an incredibly good job making that adjustment."

 

Jeffress allowed two hits and issued two walks in five innings Thursday. Mixing his fastball (94-96 mph), curveball (80-81 mph) and changeup (82-83 mph), the 19-year-old phenom kept the Kannapolis batters off balance and finished his 81-pitch performance with five strikeouts.

 

"The first thing is, the kid has an exceptional arm," Curtis said. "He has had reasonably good fastball command. That has been a big component of his success.

 

"But for the second game in a row, which you saw tonight, in the third, fourth and fifth innings, when he was going through that batting order a second time, he was getting hard curveballs over.

 

"And he had one lefty sequence where he had a changeup, fastball and changeup for strike three, which is an unusual sequence for a kid who is that young. They were exceptional pitches. They weren't, ?Oh gosh, I got fooled thinking a fastball was coming.' They were good strikes with good velocity."

 

Jeffress has surrendered 16 hits and five runs (three earned) in 23 2/3 innings with 19 strikeouts and 11 walks. He hasn't allowed an earned run since his first start.

 

Oddly enough, Jeffress struggled in the rookie Arizona League last year. He had a 2-5 record with a 5.88 ERA. He gave up 30 hits and 26 runs (22 earned) in 33 2/3 innings. Although he finished with 37 strikeouts, he amassed 25 walks and 13 wild pitches in 13 games.

 

"In my first year, I wanted to fool people," said Jeffress, who is from South Boston, Va. "But fooling people is not the key to getting people out. Throwing strikes is. Coach Curtis has taught me to pitch for contact. Make them get themselves out."

 

Jeffress, reliever D.J. Lidyard and closer Omar Aguilar combined for the Power's fourth shutout this season.

 

The Intimidators managed one hit off Lidyard (four strikeouts and one walk) in three innings and no hits off Aguilar (one strikeout and two walks) in one inning.

 

The Power improved to 49-20 overall, 1-0 in the second half. The Intimidators dropped to 32-39, 0-1.

 

The teams will continue their series at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central). West Virginia will start left-hander Brae Wright (5-4, 6.59). Kannapolis will counter with left-hander Justin Edwards (4-4, 3.90).

 

Charleston Daily Mail Photo by Tom Hindman

Jeremy Jeffress throws some heat in the Power?s 9-0 win Thursday against Kannapolis.

 

http://www.dailymail.com/images/062207JEFFRESS.jpg

[Never Outhustled]

What an amazing start for Caleb Gindl. I was shocked when the paced the 18 year old 5th round pick in advanced rookie ball. Not only that, but he bats cleanup, and is the only player on his team hitting so far, despite all of his teammates being more advanced JuCo and 4 year college players. Gindl is hitting .400 through 3 games, with 3 doubles, 3 walks, and just 1 K. It would be ultra-impressive if he could continue to hit at this level, as it would put him on or ahead of pace with the organizations past 1st and 2nd round picks.

 

Colbyjack had Gindl as his steal of the draft for this year. I guess thats why Patrick is the big cheese when it comes to the draft.