Bill Mitchell's Minor League Ramblings

Minor League Ramblings For the week of :
March 17, 2003

Initial Minor League Spring Training Report
Interview with Joe Blanton
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Minor League Ramblings is produced by Bill Mitchell for Minor League Watch.

Minor league spring training games underway in Arizona ... at least until the rain started falling
March 17, 2003

It's great to be reporting to our readers again in this first issue of Minor League Ramblings for the 2003 season. Other demands on my time kept me from launching this year's version of the site until now. But news on minor league ball will be coming your way for the next six months.

Erick Aybar

One of Arizona's best baseball secrets --- the hidden minor league spring training games --- began last weekend. The 12 Arizona-based teams, bolstered by the addition of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals this year, all began play with a full slate of games for their respective AAA, AA, high A and low A teams.

We shared with our readers last year about the pleasures of minor league games (see the March 17, 2002 report), with the greatest part being the ability to watch two games simultaneously.

Rain wiped out virtually all minor league activity on Sunday and Monday, but here are a few observations from the first couple of days.

Two young players drawing attention were the Angels' low A middle infield combination of shortstop Erick Aybar and second baseman Alberto Callaspo. The pair of teenagers both dazzled in the field and showed good hitting skills. Fans of the Angels' Cedar Rapids affiliate in the Midwest League can look forward to a summer of fun watching these two kids, as well as exciting outfielder Quan Crosby.

Derrick Turnbow

Anaheim Angels top prospect Casey Kotchman, just down from the big league camp, looks to already be in mid-season form in his first games for the organization's AA squad. There are few hitters in organized baseball with a swing as sweet as that of the Angels' first baseman of the near future.

The Oakland organization was able to restock its minor league system last year, with seven first round or supplemental picks in the 2002 draft. They focused especially on strong young arms in the draft. Part of the bounty of that draft was on display Friday afternoon in the two class A games. Fireballing right-handers Ben Fritz and Joe Blanton (see the interview with Blanton) were on the mound in the early part of the high A game, while crafty left-hander Bill Murphy made the start for the low A team.

Ryan Theriot

Cubs' batters in Saturday's class AA game against the Angels must have been having nightmares that night after facing enigmatic right-hander Bobby Jenks and former Rule 5 draftee Derrick Turnbow back to back. Both Jenks and Turnbow bring in their fastballs at close to 100 MPH.

While the Angels' AA team was soundly trouncing the Cubs squad, it was the other way around just 30 feet away, as the Chicago AAA team was beating up on Anaheim's top minor league affiliate. The big blow of the day came from former Angels' farmhand Chris Pritchett, who slammed a long bomb well over the right field fence.

Cubs' shortstop Ryan Theriot made a number of sparkling defensive plays in Saturday's AA game against the Angels, including going into the hole for a groundball before leaping and throwing to nab the runner at first base. There have been questions as to whether Theriot will hit enough to be considered big league material, but there's no question about his defensive skills.

The weather forecast looks much better for the next week, so we'll be back with more reports from the minor league camps.

--- Bill Mitchell