Official 2014 Summer Baseball Thread
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Burger
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Alaska - The Miners
* for those who hate reading, I've made it easy for you, feel free to skip around.
I admit it. I have become a Matsu Miners fan. I read the monthly GM report. I look forward to the late games because I know I'll get to watch them. Let's face it, there might be 3 teams with Vols on the rosters playing at the same time in the Cape and every Vol player playing for an east coast summer team is likely playing at or around that same time too. When all of those games are ending, the west coasters are getting started. By the time 11 PM rolls around (the usual Miners game time), I've spent hours following players, looking for streams, looking for game audio, crashing the computer trying to watch and/or listen to multiple games while running the live stats for the ones I can't find.
The Miners are my security blanket. A model of consistency. Pre-game is at 10:45. The game will start at 11 PM or after, not before. The National Anthem is going to be bad. There is a good chance I will see at least one Tennessee Volunteer every night.
It started last year when AJ Simcox, Christin Stewart and Trevor Bettencourt were Miners and these Tennessee players were the heart and soul of that team. AJ and Stewart just flat out crushed it. They played Rocky Top. In Alaska. More than once. It was awesome. Coach Taylor talked specifically about these guys getting to the park early and how hard they worked on their games.
When I found out Nick Senzel, Jordan Rodgers, and Kyle Serrano were going to be Miners, I was stoked. A tweet in December here, one in January there, by the time we played ASU on March 9th, I had a pretty good idea those three guys would be Miners. On May 20th the Vols played Vandy to the wire. Kyle Serrano had arguably his finest performance of the season, in the biggest game of the season, against our natural rival and the eventual National Champion. The curtain closed on our post season, but that meant Matsu Miners Baseball was just around the corner.
Nick Senzel was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. If Bret Marks is the surprise of the summer, certainly Nick Senzel was the surprise of the 2014 season.
He hit .315 for the Vols, second only to Christin Stewart's .330. He led the Vols with a .419 OB %. Most of these stats were rung up as the Vols DH. I was excited to see him get an opportunity at 2B this summer because Maddox has moved on and for some, he's the logical replacement. I figured his Hit Parade would continue on in Alaska, but mostly I wanted to see him in the field.
It was clear. Early.
Nick Senzel, the young man, was indeed in Alaska.
Nick Senzel, the baseball player, was not.
With the exception of a few days in June, which just happened to coincide with the visit from CDS, when Senzel hit three homers in three games, batted .500, had seven runs, and six RBI...the summer was a wash. That offensive showing started on June 24th and ended on June 28th. Before June 24th, Senzel's average was .178.
3 more hits would come over 8 games and Nick Senzel's summer season was over on July 5th...with a .210 batting average.
Alaska Baseball League | Home Page | Pointstreak Sites
Coach Taylor said he arrived banged up from a long freshman campaign. Coach Serrano said he was a bit home sick but thought he was turning the corner. I reckon all of that is true.
So...what does one make of it? I think if you are a Tennessee fan the answer is...nothing.
There's no reason to think the 53 games he started for the Vols are an illusion. It's the 23 games he played for Matsu that are the illusion.
What does a Miners fan make of it? I think the answer is, again, nothing. Short of wondering how a guy that was batting .178 has a three game explosion like the one Senzel had, he didn't make much of an impression on the field.
But as both a Vols fan AND a Miners fan, (I may be the only one of those in the world) it was a let down.
Jordan Rodgers made progress, he made the All-Star Team and he made me a believer. I watched him play a lot of ball this summer and he got better and I think more confident as the summer went along. He had to earn it too. I'm sure coach Taylor had an idea about Senzel and Serrano, but Rodgers would have been a bit of an unknown.
Rodgers only started five games for the Vols. He had just 23 at bats and his BA was .130.
In the ABL he batted .288 which is very respectable and over the course of the entire summer he batted .265. He made nearly 100 trips to the plate and that's very valuable experience, but it was in the field that he made the most progress IMO. It was slow going in the beginning due to many factors, his inexperience, lack of familiarity with the other infielders, etc...He ended the season with a .932 fielding %, 5 E's over a 30 game stretch.
When he goes back to work with AJ and the rest, I like his chances.
Alaska Baseball League | Home Page | Pointstreak Sites
Just like the Vandy game to end the season, Kyle Serrano's last 2 innings of work in Alaska were arguably his best.
2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO
He led the Miners in walks just as he led UT...
28.2 IP, 33 BB, 42 SO, but he had more SO's than walks which was not the case with the Vols...
57.2 IP, 41 BB, 40 SO
I don't think I missed him pitch, maybe once, and the theme remained the same, incredible arm, lack of command.
KS BAA for the Vols was .243 this past season. In the ABL he was never higher than .231 and was as low as .176, he finished at .189.
Andy Cox finished his UT season at .178...so...
Alaska Baseball League | Home Page | Pointstreak Sites
I don't know anything about pitching and maybe some progress was made, it's hard for me to know.
The issue he had going to Alaska was his command, I'm not saying it, HE said it, the coach said it, the announcers said it...to my don't know anything eyes, command is still the issue.
When I would watch/listen to the Vols that were on the Anchorage Bucs (Marks, Lenstrohm and Youngblood) generally playing at the same time, one glaring difference would show regularly.
Poise.
Marks, P Lenny and JYB will all be seniors this season. They may not have played more baseball for the Vols than Senzel, Rodgers and Serrano, but they have most certainly played more ball in their lives.
It makes me realize how far along Simcox and Stewart were last year, mature beyond their years.
Maybe that's all there is to it.
More to come...
GBO!!!
* for those who hate reading, I've made it easy for you, feel free to skip around.
I admit it. I have become a Matsu Miners fan. I read the monthly GM report. I look forward to the late games because I know I'll get to watch them. Let's face it, there might be 3 teams with Vols on the rosters playing at the same time in the Cape and every Vol player playing for an east coast summer team is likely playing at or around that same time too. When all of those games are ending, the west coasters are getting started. By the time 11 PM rolls around (the usual Miners game time), I've spent hours following players, looking for streams, looking for game audio, crashing the computer trying to watch and/or listen to multiple games while running the live stats for the ones I can't find.
The Miners are my security blanket. A model of consistency. Pre-game is at 10:45. The game will start at 11 PM or after, not before. The National Anthem is going to be bad. There is a good chance I will see at least one Tennessee Volunteer every night.
It started last year when AJ Simcox, Christin Stewart and Trevor Bettencourt were Miners and these Tennessee players were the heart and soul of that team. AJ and Stewart just flat out crushed it. They played Rocky Top. In Alaska. More than once. It was awesome. Coach Taylor talked specifically about these guys getting to the park early and how hard they worked on their games.
When I found out Nick Senzel, Jordan Rodgers, and Kyle Serrano were going to be Miners, I was stoked. A tweet in December here, one in January there, by the time we played ASU on March 9th, I had a pretty good idea those three guys would be Miners. On May 20th the Vols played Vandy to the wire. Kyle Serrano had arguably his finest performance of the season, in the biggest game of the season, against our natural rival and the eventual National Champion. The curtain closed on our post season, but that meant Matsu Miners Baseball was just around the corner.
Nick Senzel was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. If Bret Marks is the surprise of the summer, certainly Nick Senzel was the surprise of the 2014 season.
He hit .315 for the Vols, second only to Christin Stewart's .330. He led the Vols with a .419 OB %. Most of these stats were rung up as the Vols DH. I was excited to see him get an opportunity at 2B this summer because Maddox has moved on and for some, he's the logical replacement. I figured his Hit Parade would continue on in Alaska, but mostly I wanted to see him in the field.
It was clear. Early.
Nick Senzel, the young man, was indeed in Alaska.
Nick Senzel, the baseball player, was not.
With the exception of a few days in June, which just happened to coincide with the visit from CDS, when Senzel hit three homers in three games, batted .500, had seven runs, and six RBI...the summer was a wash. That offensive showing started on June 24th and ended on June 28th. Before June 24th, Senzel's average was .178.
3 more hits would come over 8 games and Nick Senzel's summer season was over on July 5th...with a .210 batting average.
Alaska Baseball League | Home Page | Pointstreak Sites
Coach Taylor said he arrived banged up from a long freshman campaign. Coach Serrano said he was a bit home sick but thought he was turning the corner. I reckon all of that is true.
So...what does one make of it? I think if you are a Tennessee fan the answer is...nothing.
There's no reason to think the 53 games he started for the Vols are an illusion. It's the 23 games he played for Matsu that are the illusion.
What does a Miners fan make of it? I think the answer is, again, nothing. Short of wondering how a guy that was batting .178 has a three game explosion like the one Senzel had, he didn't make much of an impression on the field.
But as both a Vols fan AND a Miners fan, (I may be the only one of those in the world) it was a let down.
Jordan Rodgers made progress, he made the All-Star Team and he made me a believer. I watched him play a lot of ball this summer and he got better and I think more confident as the summer went along. He had to earn it too. I'm sure coach Taylor had an idea about Senzel and Serrano, but Rodgers would have been a bit of an unknown.
Rodgers only started five games for the Vols. He had just 23 at bats and his BA was .130.
In the ABL he batted .288 which is very respectable and over the course of the entire summer he batted .265. He made nearly 100 trips to the plate and that's very valuable experience, but it was in the field that he made the most progress IMO. It was slow going in the beginning due to many factors, his inexperience, lack of familiarity with the other infielders, etc...He ended the season with a .932 fielding %, 5 E's over a 30 game stretch.
When he goes back to work with AJ and the rest, I like his chances.
Alaska Baseball League | Home Page | Pointstreak Sites
Just like the Vandy game to end the season, Kyle Serrano's last 2 innings of work in Alaska were arguably his best.
2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO
He led the Miners in walks just as he led UT...
28.2 IP, 33 BB, 42 SO, but he had more SO's than walks which was not the case with the Vols...
57.2 IP, 41 BB, 40 SO
I don't think I missed him pitch, maybe once, and the theme remained the same, incredible arm, lack of command.
KS BAA for the Vols was .243 this past season. In the ABL he was never higher than .231 and was as low as .176, he finished at .189.
Andy Cox finished his UT season at .178...so...
Alaska Baseball League | Home Page | Pointstreak Sites
I don't know anything about pitching and maybe some progress was made, it's hard for me to know.
The issue he had going to Alaska was his command, I'm not saying it, HE said it, the coach said it, the announcers said it...to my don't know anything eyes, command is still the issue.
When I would watch/listen to the Vols that were on the Anchorage Bucs (Marks, Lenstrohm and Youngblood) generally playing at the same time, one glaring difference would show regularly.
Poise.
Marks, P Lenny and JYB will all be seniors this season. They may not have played more baseball for the Vols than Senzel, Rodgers and Serrano, but they have most certainly played more ball in their lives.
It makes me realize how far along Simcox and Stewart were last year, mature beyond their years.
Maybe that's all there is to it.
More to come...
GBO!!!
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Tyler Schultz was 1/3 with a single, a walk, a sac fly and 2 RBI, The Brewers win and I guess move on, more on that later.
The Blues (Moberg, Vanderford) game starts at 5 PM
Live Stats: http://data.iscorecentral.com/iscor....html?hk=29ca2ed058484dbfe0612f6b11310758&m=1
Watch (from really far away) : San Luis Obispo Blues Baseball on USTREAM: Listen live to every game played by the SLO Blues. . Baseball
The Blues (Moberg, Vanderford) game starts at 5 PM
Live Stats: http://data.iscorecentral.com/iscor....html?hk=29ca2ed058484dbfe0612f6b11310758&m=1
Watch (from really far away) : San Luis Obispo Blues Baseball on USTREAM: Listen live to every game played by the SLO Blues. . Baseball
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The Laconia Muskrats (Eric Freeman) do not play tonight, but other teams will affect their spot in the playoffs. They are assured at least a play in game which would be tomorrow.
The Bethesda Big Train (Eric Martin) game is under way, he hasn't pitched since July 25th, I'm sort of expecting he gets a shot this weekend.
Live Stats: http://crcbl.bbstats.pointstreak.com/flash/index.html?gameid=230548
The Bethesda Big Train (Eric Martin) game is under way, he hasn't pitched since July 25th, I'm sort of expecting he gets a shot this weekend.
Live Stats: http://crcbl.bbstats.pointstreak.com/flash/index.html?gameid=230548
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Team USA - Christin Stewart
I don't really know what to say. The stats he put up for team USA are ridiculous. In this particular case the stats DO tell the story. Here they are for the people that have yet to check them out.
http://web.usabaseball.com/downloads/2014/CNT/overall_stats_0727.pdf
He was so much better than everyone else it made me think a bit. Stew's stats from this season and Borbon's/Arencipia's stats from their Sophomore years.
Stewart: 54 GS, .330 BA, 218 AB, 45 R, 72 H, 19 2B, 6 3B, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 15 BB, 6 HBP, 42 SO, 7-8 SB, OBP .386, SLG .541, GDP 5, TB 118, FLD% .980
Borbon: 55 GS, .366 BA, 235 AB, 45 R, 86 H, 14 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 30 RBI, 19 BB, 1 HBP, 15 SO, 19-25 SB, OBP .412, SLG .481, GDP 1, TB 113, FLD% .959
Arencibia:55 GS, .352 BA, 216 AB, 44 R, 76 H, 17 2B, 0 3B, 11 HR, 52 RBI, 20 BB, 10 HBP, 30 K, 0 SB, OBP .419, SLG .583, GDP 5, TB 126, FLD% .976
If Stewart turns even half of his 42 K's into walks and hits, his stats would be better than both of those guys across the board.
I'm sure we could argue about the bats those guys were using or the pitching 'til our heads turn blue but that's not what this post is about. We could argue about the different positions...yadayadayada.
As they are, the numbers aren't all that different and those two guys went in the first round of the draft. Neither of them put up better numbers their junior seasons.
Stewart's USA numbers suggest that he could get into Headley 2005 type numbers. But Headley's Sophomore Campaign condensed, .295 BA, .393 SLG, .389 OBP.
Just an "Oh By The Way", how loaded was that 2005 team anyway, good grief!
I don't feel like Stewart got enough recognition for his Team USA numbers and because the program has been down, I'm not sure a lot of folks can see what's right in front of them.
More to come...
GBO!!!
I don't really know what to say. The stats he put up for team USA are ridiculous. In this particular case the stats DO tell the story. Here they are for the people that have yet to check them out.
http://web.usabaseball.com/downloads/2014/CNT/overall_stats_0727.pdf
He was so much better than everyone else it made me think a bit. Stew's stats from this season and Borbon's/Arencipia's stats from their Sophomore years.
Stewart: 54 GS, .330 BA, 218 AB, 45 R, 72 H, 19 2B, 6 3B, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 15 BB, 6 HBP, 42 SO, 7-8 SB, OBP .386, SLG .541, GDP 5, TB 118, FLD% .980
Borbon: 55 GS, .366 BA, 235 AB, 45 R, 86 H, 14 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 30 RBI, 19 BB, 1 HBP, 15 SO, 19-25 SB, OBP .412, SLG .481, GDP 1, TB 113, FLD% .959
Arencibia:55 GS, .352 BA, 216 AB, 44 R, 76 H, 17 2B, 0 3B, 11 HR, 52 RBI, 20 BB, 10 HBP, 30 K, 0 SB, OBP .419, SLG .583, GDP 5, TB 126, FLD% .976
If Stewart turns even half of his 42 K's into walks and hits, his stats would be better than both of those guys across the board.
I'm sure we could argue about the bats those guys were using or the pitching 'til our heads turn blue but that's not what this post is about. We could argue about the different positions...yadayadayada.
As they are, the numbers aren't all that different and those two guys went in the first round of the draft. Neither of them put up better numbers their junior seasons.
Stewart's USA numbers suggest that he could get into Headley 2005 type numbers. But Headley's Sophomore Campaign condensed, .295 BA, .393 SLG, .389 OBP.
Just an "Oh By The Way", how loaded was that 2005 team anyway, good grief!
I don't feel like Stewart got enough recognition for his Team USA numbers and because the program has been down, I'm not sure a lot of folks can see what's right in front of them.
More to come...
GBO!!!
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Eric Freeman has made 18 appearances for Laconia, a team high. His ERA is 4.50...
Tyler Schultz and Steven Kane play in the CCL Championship today at 3PM.
The Y-D Red Sox (Simcox, VJax and Owenby) play David Houser's Harbor Hawks today at 4:30.
Andrew Lee's Whitecaps also play at 4:30.
The Bethesda Big Train lost last night in the championship game of the Cal Ripken League which means Eric Martin is on his way home. He finishes with a 3.27 ERA.
Trevor Charpie's St. Cloud Rox have a DH today starting at 6 PM.
Tyler Schultz and Steven Kane play in the CCL Championship today at 3PM.
The Y-D Red Sox (Simcox, VJax and Owenby) play David Houser's Harbor Hawks today at 4:30.
Andrew Lee's Whitecaps also play at 4:30.
The Bethesda Big Train lost last night in the championship game of the Cal Ripken League which means Eric Martin is on his way home. He finishes with a 3.27 ERA.
Trevor Charpie's St. Cloud Rox have a DH today starting at 6 PM.
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The Brewers (Schultz) came into today needing to beat the Neptune Beach Pearl twice, welp they won the first one so the REAL championship game is coming up in 30 minutes, sorry about the confusion...
In the first game TS: 4 AB, 1 H, HBP
Andrew Lee (DH) was batting in the clean up spot today, he went 1/4, his BA is .350...
Simcox and Houser are both 0/2 so far, top 5, Y-D leads 3-2
In the first game TS: 4 AB, 1 H, HBP
Andrew Lee (DH) was batting in the clean up spot today, he went 1/4, his BA is .350...
Simcox and Houser are both 0/2 so far, top 5, Y-D leads 3-2
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California League - The Pitchers
Zac Grotz: 36 IP, 33 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 7 BB, 7 HBP, 28 SO, 3.75 ERA, W/L 0/2.
526 TP, 353 S, 173 B
Grotz pitched 6 innings for the Vols last season and his ERA was 6.00
Tei Vanderford: 16 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 2 HR, 3 ER, 3 BB, 16 SO, 1.69 ERA, W/L 1/1
221 TP, 151 S, 70 B
Vanderford did not pitch for the Vols last season.
I don't believe in speculating about players futures when they are playing games, and for the guys in the California Collegiate League the season is over.
Both of these guys were brought in from the Cali JUCO ranks. I don't think it is typical to bring in a JUCO guy and red shirt him is it? That's exactly what Vanderford would be, a rising RS Jr. Grotz would be a senior.
It seems odd.
Adding to the weirdness...When UT released the destinations of the players for summer ball, Grotz wasn't on the list. AND UT has not listed his stats or mentioned him at all in the weekly updates they have provided this summer. Maybe it was just an oversight.
Vanderford hasn't pitched since before July 8th because I went back and looked at my updates and he's been stuck on 16 IP since at least then.
I'm not willing to say these guys won't be back. I have no idea. It does seem strange though.
As for their summer stats...first, take them with a grain of salt. Vanderford's ERA is nice, but 16 innings is not a lot work for a guy that didn't pitch at all this past season. I guess it's possible he was injured...I dunno.
Grotz threw a lot of pitches if the stats can be trusted and a 3.75 ERA is much better than the 6.00 ERA he had for the Vols last season.
The truth is, it's all so odd, I don't want to delve into the stats any further.
I'm not saying anyone is not coming back, pure speculation here...If the rumors about Josh Peterson not coming back are true and if these two don't make it back, they are California kids, then...in terms of numbers...I'M JUST SAYING...we wouldn't be far from the normal number of RHP we typically carry.
Again, for all I know both of these guys could have been injured last season and maybe not including Grotz on the list of summer ball guys was just a mistake, things happen I guess.
In the CCL we still have Kane, Schultz and Moberg to discuss, but I'd like to wait a day and see if the stats get updated further, Kane just had a 125 pitch outing and his stats don't seem to reflect it, the Championship was this weekend and both Moberg and Schultz might not have been updated yet.
More to come...
GBO!!!
Zac Grotz: 36 IP, 33 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 7 BB, 7 HBP, 28 SO, 3.75 ERA, W/L 0/2.
526 TP, 353 S, 173 B
Grotz pitched 6 innings for the Vols last season and his ERA was 6.00
Tei Vanderford: 16 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 2 HR, 3 ER, 3 BB, 16 SO, 1.69 ERA, W/L 1/1
221 TP, 151 S, 70 B
Vanderford did not pitch for the Vols last season.
I don't believe in speculating about players futures when they are playing games, and for the guys in the California Collegiate League the season is over.
Both of these guys were brought in from the Cali JUCO ranks. I don't think it is typical to bring in a JUCO guy and red shirt him is it? That's exactly what Vanderford would be, a rising RS Jr. Grotz would be a senior.
It seems odd.
Adding to the weirdness...When UT released the destinations of the players for summer ball, Grotz wasn't on the list. AND UT has not listed his stats or mentioned him at all in the weekly updates they have provided this summer. Maybe it was just an oversight.
Vanderford hasn't pitched since before July 8th because I went back and looked at my updates and he's been stuck on 16 IP since at least then.
I'm not willing to say these guys won't be back. I have no idea. It does seem strange though.
As for their summer stats...first, take them with a grain of salt. Vanderford's ERA is nice, but 16 innings is not a lot work for a guy that didn't pitch at all this past season. I guess it's possible he was injured...I dunno.
Grotz threw a lot of pitches if the stats can be trusted and a 3.75 ERA is much better than the 6.00 ERA he had for the Vols last season.
The truth is, it's all so odd, I don't want to delve into the stats any further.
I'm not saying anyone is not coming back, pure speculation here...If the rumors about Josh Peterson not coming back are true and if these two don't make it back, they are California kids, then...in terms of numbers...I'M JUST SAYING...we wouldn't be far from the normal number of RHP we typically carry.
Again, for all I know both of these guys could have been injured last season and maybe not including Grotz on the list of summer ball guys was just a mistake, things happen I guess.
In the CCL we still have Kane, Schultz and Moberg to discuss, but I'd like to wait a day and see if the stats get updated further, Kane just had a 125 pitch outing and his stats don't seem to reflect it, the Championship was this weekend and both Moberg and Schultz might not have been updated yet.
More to come...
GBO!!!
Last edited:
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This is the way it broke down last year...
*(team win/loss record when starter)
Nick Williams - 13 Starts (4-9)
Hunter Martin - 12 (5-7)
Kyle Serrano - 9 (8-1)
Andrew Lee - 7 (6-1)
Andy Cox - 6 (4-2)
Bret Marks - 4 (3-1)
P Lenny - 2 (0-2)
D. Owenby - 1 (1-0)
Assuming (always dangerous to do), Cox takes those 13 William's starts and Marks' summer work translates to SEC ball, with the additions of Kane, Warren, Westphal we MIGHT be onto something.
With Bettencourt and Serrano out of fall ball, I would think...some of these new guys will get a shot to see what they can do.
That's a lot of good experience up there.
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