For
the week of :
September 16, 2002
Minor League Ramblings is produced by Bill Mitchell for Minor League Watch.
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2002
Final Report
What a great season it's been! Since mid-January, I've been to 90 professional or college baseball games, interviewed 29 different players, met many other interesting folks along the way, and made my professional debut as a substitute official scorer in the rookie level Arizona League! Writing this column for Top Prospect Alert has been a blast. Changing my fulltime job partway through the season prevented me from making as many road trips as I would have liked. But the excursions to Tucson, Rancho Cucamonga and Boise, as well as countless trips to ballparks throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area, made the 2002 season a memorable one. The wonderful 10-week season of the rookie level Cubs of the Arizona League was my personal high. From their dramatic opening day win on a walk-off steal of home by newcomer Jemel Spearman to the equally spectacular "come from behind" win for the league championship, the season with the Mesa Cubs was a great one. Special thanks go to Cubs' manager Carmelo Martinez, his staff and the entire team for making me feel like a part of their family for the summer.
But there's still plenty of baseball yet to be played. The Arizona Fall League begins play in just a few weeks, and I'll be producing the Arizona Fall League Report for the fourth consecutive season. My 2002 season preview will be posted later this week. Thanks to all of the readers of Minor League Ramblings who wrote to me this year with words of support and encouragement. I especially enjoyed hearing from the parents of several of the players I met. Most of all, thanks to all of the players who took the time to talk with me and to share their experiences and personal feelings. Of the several dozen players I met in the past year, the performances of a handful of them stood out:
Bobby Hill - Now the starting second baseman for the major league Cubs, Hill's 2002 season got off to a slow start after an illness at the end of spring training. He was promoted to Chicago in May, struggled in his first taste of the big leagues, and was returned to AAA Iowa. Since returning to the Cubs' lineup, the switch-hitter from the University of Miami has boosted his average to .252 and looks to be settling in for a long major league career. Orlando Hudson - Last year's fan favorite from the Arizona Fall League made it to the Toronto roster in July after hitting .305 for AAA Syracuse and appearing in both the Futures Game and the AAA All Star Game. The switch-hitter is now the Blue Jays' starting second baseman, and is batting .305 with a .483 slugging percentage in 151 at bats.
Felix Pie - The Cubs signed the 17-year-old centerfielder out of the Dominican Republic and brought him to the United States in spring training. After showing glimpses of his potential during the extended spring training season, the left-handed hitting Pie broke out during the Arizona League season, establishing himself as one of the top outfield prospects in the lower minor leagues. Pie hit .321 with 17 stolen bases and a .954 OPS. He also broke the Arizona League season record with 13 triples. Rafael Rodriguez - Another Dominican 17-year-old, this right-handed pitcher for the Angels also made his professional debut in the Arizona League. Rodriguez made eight starts for the rookie level Angels, striking out 50 batters in 38.1 innings and recording a 2-1 record with a 3.99 ERA. He was promoted to Provo of the Pioneer League, where he started another six games, finishing with a 5.96 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 25.2 IPs. Lyle Overbay - One of the minor league's finest batting prospects, Overbay had his usual excellent season, hitting .343 with a career best 19 homeruns and 109 RBIs for AAA Tucson. He is now with the Arizona Diamondbacks, recently driving in the winning run for his first major league RBI. His future is uncertain due to the parent club's glut of left-handed hitting first basemen, but pure hitters like Overbay always find a job somewhere.
Jonny Gomes - The Devil Rays' slugging outfield prospect had a terrible game the night I caught up with him in Rancho Cucamonga, striking out three of four times against the Quakes. But he didn't have too many of those, finishing his season at Class A Bakersfield with a .276 average, 30 homeruns, 72 RBIs, 91 walks and a 1.003 OPS. Francisco Salas - This second-year pro from Mexico got a taste of Class A ball, filling in with the Cubs' Midwest League team, earlier in the season. He returned to Arizona in time for the rookie league season, batting .311 with five homeruns in 120 at bats, while playing second base, shortstop, third base and outfield. Salas doubled home the tying and go-ahead runs in the 3-1 Cubs' victory for the Arizona League championship. But most of all, Salas exemplified the spirit and love of the game that I enjoy seeing in a player. Chris Bootcheck - The right-handed pitcher from the Angels posted an 8-7 record with a 4.81 ERA in the hitter-friendly Texas League, earning a promotion to AAA Salt Lake. The former Auburn player posted a 4-3 record with a 3.88 ERA in the Pacific Coast League, and is slated to pitch in the Arizona Fall League.
Andy Sisco - The 6-9 Cubs' second-year pitcher developed into one of the top southpaws in the lower minors with a solid season for Boise of the Northwest League. The Washington native recorded a 7-2 record with a 2.43 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 77.2 innings. Joe Thurston - The Dodgers' potential second baseman of the future had a breakout season for AAA Las Vegas by hitting .334 in 587 at bats, with 39 doubles, 13 triples, 17 homeruns and 22 stolen bases. He moved up to the parent club after rosters were expanded on September 1. Bryant Nelson - After signing with his fifth professional organization last winter, Nelson finally made it to the major leagues in his ninth minor league season, spending six weeks with the Boston Red Sox earlier in the summer. The switch-hitting infielder / outfielder batted .265 in 34 at bats, and proved to be a valuable reserve off the bench for the Red Sox. Nelson was not called up again after September 1. He will return next month to Hermosillo of the Mexican Pacific League for his fourth winter league season. --- Bill Mitchell
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