Triple-A All-Star Preview

July 15, 2009 — We’ve officially entered the PCL All-Star break, a much needed rest for our hard-working team. Sunday’s game definitely helped enter the break on a positive note, with the Bees beating division-leading Colorado Sky Sox in a 5-0 shut-out, masterfully pitched by the youngster Trevor Bell.

While most of team is heading off to rest and recreate, a couple of Bees have gone to Portland, OR, to participate in the Triple-A All-Star Game, which pits the Pacific Coast League All-Stars versus the International League All-Stars in a one-game, winner takes all championship. In preparation of tonight’s game, which will be broadcast at 8 p.m. MDT on ESPN2 and MiLB.TV (MiLB.TV viewing requires $6.95 month subscription or $29.95 for a year), let’s take a closer look at our All-Stars, shall we?

Brandon Wood

Although he was selected to participate, Wood won’t be playing in this year’s All-Star game. Wood was called up to the Angels on July 10th, along with Bobby Wilson, and was immediately inserted into the starting lineup at 3B. Facing the Yankees, Wood showed his chops by drawing a walk during his first at-bat, on five pitches from starter Andy Pettitte. Later, he helped chase Pettitte in the 5th inning with a two-run homer. If you’ve been listening to the radio, you would have noticed Wood played 1B for a few games on the road.  On Sunday, still against the Yankees, he started at 1B—no hits, but he did sacrifice in a run in the 4th.

Of course, Wood has hardly lacked press coverage from the day he was drafted. Rather than retread the many fine articles already written on Wood’s career, I’d recommend the curious reader simply Google a few keywords and read to your hearts content.

One last thought arises that does seems worth mentioning. Yours truly is of course, well aware of the many seasons of grumbling over how the Angels have held him back at Triple-A. Until last summer, I honestly didn’t think he was quite ready. Now I do. He’s coming to the plate and thinking about “hitting the ball” instead of “hitting the long ball.” He’s using his natural quickness and keen eye to adjust his swing, instead of reacting to whatever shows up. The more he sticks to the plan, . . .the better he’ll be able to close up those holes in his swing, . . .which will force pitchers to start making adjustments to get him out, . . .and will present him with more “fat” pitches down the road. And goodness gracious, he knows very well what to do with those.

I believe in the long run, Wood will become a premiere ballplayer because the Angels kept the long-term goal in mind while developing his athletic skills. It’s hard to remember, particularly in athletes having so much natural talent, the most important and slowest-to-develop performance factor sits between the ears. It’s a simple fact of human biology that the motor skills develop far earlier than the cognitive skills. In short, it takes time and experience to learn how to hit the ball for average and power, under all sorts of conditions. Wood is 24 years old. And I wish for him a long and successful career.

Terry Evans

“When Evans hits in the lead-off position, good things happen, ” said broadcaster Steve Klauke during the last game prior to the All-Star break.

And indeed our 6’4″ lead-off/slugger has been enjoying one heck of a comeback season after missing most of last year due to a shoulder injury. In the aforementioned game, Evans went 2-3, with an RBI-scoring double and a walk, and stole his 19th and 20th bases. Klauke noted that with 17 home runs thus far in the season, Evans could quite possibly join the 20-20 Club (20 home runs and 20 steals within the same season). That would be a Salt Lake franchise first. Evans is already a member of the Minor League 30-30 Club, one of only 13 players to do so. Even more impressive is the fact he achieved this record in 2006, the same year he was traded from the Cardinals to the Angels organization.

In addition to being selected to play outfield for the All-Star Game, Evans was one of the three PCL representatives in the Home Run Derby, held on Monday.  He advanced to the second round, and eventually finished fourth among the eight contestants. Look for him in center field, batting 5th during tonight’s game. Last but certainly not least, Evans was this lady’s pick for May.

Jeremy Hill

Our 2009 PCL All-Star closer was acquired by the Angels via free agency this winter from Acereros de Monclova in the Mexican Leagues. Originally drafted as a catcher by Kansas City in 1996, he converted to pitching in 2000. He had some early success, including a short stay with the Royals during 2002. Otherwise, as noted in a Salt Lake Tribune article, his career has taken him to the far corners of baseball world, including Taiwan, Independent Leagues and Mexico before landing a spring training invite with the Angels.

Hill earned a Double-A roster spot, and made just two appearances before getting the promotion to Salt Lake on April 16. While the promotion was largely in response to an epidemic of pitcher injuries at the parent club, Hill promptly started building his case for it to stick. He was lights out through May, with a stingy 1.46 ERA, and earned the closer spot with 13 saves by mid-June. He struggled in the latter half of June, racking up an 11.56 ERA over four particularly rough outings that included a blown save.  Ouch, and then some. Still, he fought back, earning four more saves through that rough stretch, and as we know, an spot on the PCL All-Star Team. Not bad for a man who was wondering last winter whether his 14-year baseball career might be over at last.

Hill is not a power thrower, although his fastball can touch the low 90s. His most effective pitching weapon is his ability to fool hitters and get them to swing at the wrong pitches. He’s got a short delivery, hiding the ball well behind his body until he swings around to face the plate. As a closer, his job is to get three outs as quickly as possible, and that includes keeping runners off the bases. His SO:BB for Marvelous May was 10:4 (2.5:1). Comparing the first half of June to the second half, his SO:BB ratio was 11:4 (not quite 3:1) and 4:4 (1:1) respectively. No one knows the ups-and-downs of a long season better than this well-traveled veteran, and he came fighting back during the first half of July, producing a 4.16 ERA over four appearances and bringing his season ERA down to 4.13.

Hill will be pitching out of the bullpen tonight, although it’s hard to say when manager Randy Ready will bring him in. All-Star teammate Jess Todd from Memphis is leading the PCL in saves with 21. My guess? Hill will come in for short relief in the 8th, to set up Todd.

If you tune into watch the game on TV or internet, you’re in for a special treat. Rich Burk, Portland Beavers broadcaster, will be handling the play-by-play, along with color commentator, Eric Young, Sr. Burk knows our Bees players very well, having covered games between the Beavers and Bees since 2001, and seen the two teams square off for two series already this season.

Hey, I just realized that Evans and Hill won’t have to leave after the game, cause the Bees will be visiting Portland for a four-game series immediately following. Sweet!…Your friend in baseball.

Add comment July 15th, 2009

Link of the Week (or Whenever): From the ‘I Don’t Get It’ Department, Part 2

July 02, 2009 — Granted, these are pretty enough. Although, would these be all that interesting if they’d been carved from an unfinished piece of blank stock ? . . .Your friend in baseball.

Add comment July 8th, 2009

A 4th of July Special: Military Encounters

July 04, 2009 — I was chatting with a friend of mine about the perceived versus actual lives of professional athletes, and she made a comment that struck me as particularly interesting. A Navy wife of 10 years, the constant packing/moving and frequently absent spouse were things she shared in common with the baseball wife. While she was making connections, I was thinking contrasts, such as her husband’s job including considerably greater personal risks than a torn labrum or strained hamstring. Not to mention, no one gets rich from their military career.

Later, I recalled my own experiences with military personnel. Way back during my college days I had a dorm-mate, our “middle-aged freshman,” who was among the last to have served in Vietnam. He was a Green Beret. He was smart, funny and a fine athlete. I recall he and several dorm guys entering an intramural rugby tournament, although their most notable accomplishment of the day was sending three team members to the student health center.

A conscientious objector at one point in his life, he tried to reconcile his change of heart by becoming a special ops medic. One quiet evening over a few beers, the two of us found ourselves immersed in a conversation about what close combat was like, . . .after your service revolver rounds had been spent. Or how it felt to have survived multiple, harrowing battlefield encounters with your best buddy, only to watch him killed by a careless (and remorseless) driver during a weekend leave in Bangkok. These were topics he’d chosen to write about for his English composition class; he seemed to realize the therapeutic value of finally processing these long-buried memories. I suspect it was also easier for him to talk about them with a woman (who did her best to not flinch), rather than the teenage guys in the dorm.

I also remember how the “GI Bill” during the 1980s and 90s offered an attractive form of financial aid for low-income students. Without the Navy, another dorm-mate of mine could not have afforded his undergraduate and medical school education. Back then, he and many other young men and women were able to fulfill their duties for the most part without enduring enemy fire or extended, overseas deployments. As we know, all of this changed on September 11, 2001.

These personal moments spent with people I like and care about got me wondering, . . .how do military families deal with a loved one getting summoned to active duty in places such as Afghanistan or Iraq? Who pays the utilities, insurance or rent while the household provider is away? What happens when a family member comes home in not-quite-one piece and unable to work? How do families cope with the ongoing trials of an “invisible injury,” such as post-concussion syndrome (PCS) or post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD)?

And so I have a favor to ask of you, dear readers, on this Day of Our Independence. Would you visit the USA Cares website today? They can use your help, whether it be in the form of goods, time or cash. Or please consider purchasing a special edition “Ordinance Bat” from iFungo; 50% of the profits go to USA Cares.

Bonus offer: Bring your iFungo Ordinance Bat receipt and show it to me at the ballpark, and I’ll throw in two Box Seat tickets ($27 value) for the July 24th Pioneer Day game/fireworks show. I’m easy enough to find—section 7, row 2, seat 8, right next to the Bees dugout.

And lastly, as you are settling onto the grass for BBQ and fireworks, or if like me you are heading to the ballpark, please take a moment to pray for the safe return of our military men and women, as well as for the health and happiness of their families. . .Your friend in baseball.

Add comment July 4th, 2009