Bill Mitchell's Minor League Ramblings

Minor League Ramblings

For the week of :
September 1, 2003

Arizona League championship
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Minor League Ramblings is produced by Bill Mitchell for Minor League Watch.

McFall, Donachie lead Royals-1 to AZL championship
September 1, 2003

The Kansas City organization stockpiled the younger of their two Arizona League teams with an plethora of promising talent, assigning nine of their top 11 2003 draft choices to the Royals-1 squad. After capturing the first half in the nine-team rookie level league, the team slumped in the second half, compiling only a 14-11 record.

Alexander Batista slides into second for a double in the AZ League championship game

But the Royals proved that they truly were the class of the league with a 4-2 victory yesterday in a one-game championship series against the Rangers, winners of the second half with a 19-4 mark.

Local community college product and first baseman Brian McFall and catcher Adam Donachie led the offensive attack, as the Royals jumped to an early 4-0 lead. Third round pick McFall scored two of the Royals' four runs; the right-handed hitter went two for three with one walk and a pair of stolen bases. Donachie, in his second professional season after being drafted in the second round in 2002, singled three times in four at bats, driving in two runs.

Brian McFall

The Rangers finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the sixth inning, picking up a pair of runs off the Royals' starter, southpaw Dustin Hughes, a 2003 11th round pick out of Delta State University. 18-year-old right-hander Carlos Rosa came on to pitch three no-hit innings to preserve the victory.

16th-rounder Kevin Altman took the loss for the Rangers, giving up all four Royals runs in his 3 1/3 innings of work. Venezuelan right-hander William Sarmiento hurled 5 2/3 scoreless innings, fanning seven batters. All-league outfielder Lizahio Baez collected two of the five Rangers' hits.

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The Arizona League announced its all-league team prior to the championship game. The honored players, selected by the league managers, were:

Mike Aviles
AZ League MVP

1B - Don Sutton (Athletics)
2B - Jorge Mejia (Athletics)
3B - Alexander Batista (Royals-1)
SS - Mike Aviles - Royals-1)
DH - Wladimir Balentien (Mariners)
C - Mitch Maier (Royals-1)
OF - Ryan Fitzgerald (Cubs)
OF - Lizahio Baez (Rangers)
OF - Wladimir Balentien (Mariners)
LH SP - Dustin Hughes (Royals-1)
RH SP - Ronald Bay (Cubs)
LH R - John Gragg (Royals-2)
RH R - Leslie Nacar (Giants)
MVP - Mike Aviles (Royals-1)
Manager of the Year - Pedro Lopez (Rangers)

Statistical leaders for the season were:

BA - Ryan Fitzgerald (Cubs) - .381
HR - Wladimir Balentien (Mariners) - 16 *new league record
RBIs - Lizahio Baez (Rangers) - 55
SB - Gilberto Acosta (Brewers) - 30

ERA - Tommy Hawk (Brewers) - 2.31
Wins - Ronald Bay (Cubs) - 7
Strikeouts - Carlos Marmol (Cubs) - 74
Saves - Leslie Nacar (Giants) - 9

--- Bill Mitchell