A Night at the Nat

 A recent west coast road trip found us at Vancouver's venerable Nat Bailey stadium, to watch the hometown defending Northwest League champs take on last year's runner-up Boise Silverhawks on a beautiful early July evening.
   The Blue Jays and Vancouver first reached a player development agreement in 2011, and the results have been nothing short of spectacular.  The Canadians also won the NWL title that first year, and with a mix of recent college draftees and players from extended spring training on this year's roster, are competitive again this year, just two games out of first at game time.
   Vancouver has a lengthy minor league history, dating back almost a hundred years.  The city hosted a Triple A team in the Pacific Coast league for most of the last half of the previous century.  When the franchise relocated to Sacramento after the 2000 season, the NWL relocated its Southern Oregon team to the lower mainland.  The Canadians were affiliated with the A's from 2001 to 2010.  Locally owned since 2007, the Canadians have drawn significantly better as a Jays affiliate, attracting over 162 000 games in their first season.  After 14 home dates this season, they're averaging just over 4 600 fans per game, trailing only Spokane. The C's are very popular in Vancouver - many people we encountered during our stay were thrilled to hear we were taking in a game, and most indicated that they had either recently attended a game, or were about to in the near future. With a PDC in effect until the end of the 2016 season, it's hard to see the Jays giving up on this market, where their farmhands can play in an enthusiastic environment.  It helps to further grow the brand, too.
   The Canadians make their home at Nat Bailey, nestled up against green space in a central Vancouver neighbourhood.  The Nat was originally named Capilano Stadium, and was built in 1951.  It was renamed in 1978 to honour a local restaurateur who had been pivotal in bringing minor league ball back to the city.
The new ownership invested heavily in renovations upon taking over the club.  The stadium now hosts the Canadians and the UBC Thunderbirds, and seats over 5 000, with a kids play area down the left field line, and other family-friendly amenities that are in vogue in milb parks today.  There are a few obstructed views because of several pillars which support the grandstand - we were behind one with our grandstand seats.  We didn't know the seats were obstructed when we purchased them online, and while we were able to shift down a bit after the 2nd inning in order to get a clearer view of home plate, the club should indicate the view for purchasers, or discount the seats.  The Nathan's famous hot dogs and selection of local craft beer helped make up for having to peer around the pillar.
   The evening's game featured a pair of celebrities.  One was former Expo and Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Tim Raines.  Raines, who was known as the Rock, is more like a boulder now.  He was in town in his role as a roving Jays minor league baserunning and outfielder coach, working with the young Canadians on the finer points of the game.  Raines patiently sat under the grandstand, signing memorabilia from mostly middle-aged men until the 7th inning.
   Another famous name was that of Gretzky.  Not Wayne, in this case, although he was in town for a game a few days later, but rather his son Trevor, who was chosen by the Cubs in the 7th round of the 2011 draft.
The younger Gretzky reminded spectators that this was Class A (short season) ball by taking a bad route on Chaz Frank's leadoff double in the home half of the first, then robbing LB Dantzler of another double by making a sliding grab along the left field line two batters later.  Frank repaid Gretzky the favour by getting caught stealing at third, breaking a baseball cardinal rule of not making the third out at third base (taking the bat out of NWL player of the week Jordan Leyland's hands).
   Starting for Boise was Edmonton native Rob Zastryzny, the Cubs' 2nd round pick last month.  Zastryzny, who grew up in Texas, was making his pro debut, and was limited to only that first inning of work.  His successor, James Pugliese, was touched up for four runs by the Canadians in the third, not helping his own cause by booting a routine double play ball.  Frank again showed his aggressiveness on the base paths, scoring from third on a ball in the dirt that Boise catcher Cael Brockmeyer couldn't control.  The ball bounced only a few feet from home, but Pugliese couldn't handle the toss from Brockmeyer, and Frank slid across with the third run of the inning.
   Starting on the mound for the Canadians was Matt Dermody, a 6'5" beanpole with the build that the Jays are so fond of.  Dermody was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 28th round of the June draft out of the University of Iowa.  The lefthander had been drafted previously by the Pirates, Rockies, and Diamondbacks. Dermody was making his first start as a pro, after a pair of long relief outings for the Canadians.  Dermody was clocked around 89-90 with his fastball, reaching 92 in the 3rd.  His offspeed stuff was coming in around 76-77, and he was successful in keeping the Silverhawks' hitters off balance as a result.  Dermody was really only in trouble during 3rd inning, when he gave up a one-out single to Brockmeyer, followed by a double to the left field wall by Gretzky.  Brockmeyer showed again his inexperience at the pro level when he attempted to score from third on a groundball to 3rd base by leadoff hitter David Bote.  Canadians 3rd baseman Andy Fermin easily threw Brockmeyer out at home. Second baseman David Harris made a nice play to end the inning, quickly stepping in front of Bote to field a slow roller and throw out the batter at first.
   Dermody pitched 5 scoreless innings, giving up only those two hits.  The Silverhawks' Pugliese was followed by a pair of relievers, who kept the Canadians off the scoreboard for the rest of the game.  Lefthander Scott Silverstein relieved Dermody in the 6th, and may have been the most impressive pitcher of the night.  Silverstein was the Jays' 25th round pick last month out of Virginia.  Silverstein had previously made one start with Bluefield of the Appy League prior to his promotion to Vancouver. With his fastball mostly around 92, Silverstein pounded the strike zone down low, and retired the first six hitters he faced.  In the 8th, he got into a bit of a jam, allowing a pair of singles around a strikeout. Bote hit a one-hopper right back to Silverstein, who promptly wheeled and threw to shortstop Dickie Thon Jr who was covering 2nd.  Thon's relay to first wasn't in time to nail Bote, but for some reason, Boise shortstop Danny Lockhart, who was on 2nd when the ball was hit, didn't move on the play, even though he was forced.  By the time he realized his error and bolted for 3rd, Canadians first baseman Dantzler had thrown to Fermin to nip him for the thrid out.  Silverstein blanked Boise in the 9th to preserve the shutout and the win.
    The Canadians in-game entertainment staff do a great job.  On the video scoreboard, there's a good balance between information and entertainment.  The grounds crew has quite a YouTube following - they put together a nice little choreographed routine to Michael Jackson's Beat It when they had completed their 3rd inning raking of the infield.  Here's a sample of their work:

All in all, it was a good night at the ball park.
 
 
 

Time for Stroman?

 New Hampshire Fisher Cats righthander Marcus Stroman had filthy stuff in his Eastern League start against New Britain last night, but was the recipient of a lack of support, taking the loss as the Fisher Cats dropped a 3-1 decision.
  Pitching into the 7th, Stroman reached his pitch count with two outs in the frame.  Stroman struck out a career-high 13 batters, giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, and 1 walk. He struck out the last 5 hitters he faced.  Over his last 6 starts, Stroman has a 1.91 ERA, and has K'd 37 in 32.2 innings.  EL batters are hitting .182 against him over that span.
  With Chen Ming Wang DFA'd after his latest outing,  the Jays reached into the minors to recall pitcher Todd Redmond from Buffalo.  This could create an opening at AAA for Stroman.  Given Sean Nolin's struggles in his major league debut, the Jays may be hesitant to call Stroman up just yet.
If Redmond falters, however, it could be time for Stroman.

Bashing in Bluefield

 It's still very early, but the Bluefield Blue Jays have been mashing Appalachian League pitching so far.
The Jays improved their East Division lead with a 6-3 win over Danville last night.
Bluefield leads the Appy :League in batting with a .282 average. They're tied for the league in doubles, and lead in triples, home runs, and runs. They also lead in slugging and on base percentage.  Bluefield has an .839 OPS in this young rookie level season.
   Individually, Mitch Nay and DJ Davis have been on fire in leading the Bluefield attack.  Nay, a sandwich pick in last year's draft, had his pro debut delayed until this year because of injury, and the former Arizona Gatorade HS player of the year is quickly making up for lost time.  Hitting cleanup in the Jays' lineup, Nay is off to a .351/.442/.486 start, and is tied for the club lead with Davis for RBI with 9.  Davis, the Jays' first choice in the 2012 draft, is hitting .302/.362/.512, with 4 triples.  Davis, of course, is repeating at Bluefield this year, but if he keeps up this kind of production, he won't be there for long.
   Catcher John Silviano has played in only 4 games thus far, but has hit a pair of home runs, including one that landed in the front yard of a house across from the Pulaski ball park.
   The pitching, for its part, has not kept pace with the team's hitting. A pair of Canadians have fared well on the Bluefield staff thus far, though.  Tom Robson, of Ladner, BC, has surrendered no runs and only 1 hit in 8 IP, while Shane Dawson of Drayton Valley, AB, has struck out 13 Appy hitters in 12 innings, and has a 0.58 WHIP.  With pitchers like Chase DeJong, Alberto Tirado, Adonys Cardona, and Zac Wasilewski on staff, it's only a matter of time before the team ERA begins to drop.
   For an organization that has been known more for drafting and developing power arms in the past few years, it's nice to see some raking going on.
 

Reconsidering Alford

  In our day job, we spend a lot of time trying to understand, predict, and deal with the behaviour of young people.  And while behaviour is a product of a complex and variable set of physiological, psychological, and environmental factors, it can usually, to some extent, be rationalized.  With that as a backdrop, we would like to take another look at two-sport star Anthony Alford, who is currently toiling in the lowest levels of the Blue Jays system as a promising but raw outfielder.
   Alford, a product of small town (pop 10 000) Petal, Mississippi, was drafted by the Jays in the 3rd round of the 2012 MLB draft.  Alford led Petal HS to a pair of state baseball championships, but given his stated desire to play Quarterback for Southern Mississippi, and most scouts' aversion to the state, where football is king, and the level of baseball competition uneven, to say the least, most teams had accordingly ranked him far down their lists.  The Blue Jays, with their gambling approach to the 2012 draft, took Alford in the 3rd round, and gave him a $750 000 bonus, and their blessing to chase his football dream in between baseball seasons.
   Alford was one of the most sought-after high school football recruits in the country.  He was rated a 4-star prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com, and was the state Gatorade Player of the Year as both a junior and a senior. He led his team to the state 6A title in his senior year.
   His  2012 football season with Southern Miss, as has been well documented, was nothing short of a total disaster.  Alford was one of 4 quarterbacks who stumbled their way through the season for the Golden Eagles, scuffling along to an 0-12 record which cost coach Elliot Johnson his job. The Golden Eagles offense, according to the Hattiesburg American, was a mess.  Alford's high school coach, Steve Buckley (whose hiring,  the American suggests, was a major reason for Alford's signing), was thrown into the offensive coordinator position when coach Rickey Bustle had to step down because of health reasons.  Buckely, according to USA Today, "has not been up to the task."
   In October, Alford's mother Lawanda was arrested by Hattiesburg police  after getting into a verbal altercation with a pair of fans who were berating her son's play during a 59-24 loss to Marshall. While we all can appreciate a parent's wounded pride, this was not the first time his mom had been involved in such an incident.  The American reported:

   "This past spring, she came out of stands and onto the field of play at Petal High School's baseball stadium after her son was ejected for arguing a called third strike during the first game of the South State playoffs against Harrison Central. After showing her displeasure by screaming at the umpire, she was escorted from the stadium by school officials."

   Things only continued to get worse from there.  On the evening of November 28th, with the football season finally put out of its misery, Alford was charged with aggravated assault after a campus incident. Teammate Korey Hathorn was charged along with Alford.  The charges were eventually reduced to conspiracy to possess a firearm on campus and hindering prosecution.  Two other students, who were presumably in conflict with Alford, were later arrested on unknown charges.
   The Southern Miss student newspaper, The Student Printz, reported that an incident developed as a late-night fight between Alford/Hathorn and two other students.  According to University Police Chief Bob Hopkins,

  “As calls continued to come in, it developed into an issue where an individual apparently drew a weapon and made some threats,” Hopkins said. “It [the altercation] seems to be a  simmering problem that’s been going on for a few weeks.” 

   The pair of football players were suspended.  Alford, apparently, didn't wait around for the outcome of the school's investigation, and left campus.  He was released from his scholarship in December.  According to the American's Stan Caldwell, Alford was actively shopping around his services and was looking to transfer out of Southern Miss before the incident. In the New Year, Alford signed on with Ole Miss, and attended spring practice as a defensive back.
   So, if we want to look at environment, even based on a few newspaper accounts, it's likely that his upbringing may not have been the most balanced.   Mom, we think it's safe to say, may have been one of "those" parents - for us mapleheaded pucksters, the kind that yells at pretty much everyone in the rink - refs/players/other spectators. They mean well, but their emotions get the best of them, and they get wrapped up in the events of their kid's game. They let their emotions get the best of them. A bad call here, or a bad break there, and they lose it.  And they lack the resiliency to get over such  disappointments.  Luckily, our parents were not like that, because it's hard to imagine growing up with that kind of pressure, and that kind of burden - your poorly behaving parent.
   For an athlete like Alford, who had experienced nothing but success on both the ball diamond and the gridiron, the 0-12 season must have been a major humiliation, and again, there's not a lot in his background to suggest that he was equipped emotionally to deal with it. All athletes must learn to deal with adversity at some point. He may not have had the support he needed to put the disastrous season into perspective.
   Our fellow blogger Charlie Caskey, who writes a great blog about the short season Vancouver Canadians, the Jays' Northwest League affiliate, interviewed C's catcher Matt Hill, who was Alford's roommate for a few weeks at extended spring training this year (because of spring practice with Ole Miss, Alford didn't arrive until late May).  Paraphrasing Hill, Caskey writes about the November incident:

  Regarding the arrest. I don’t think I’ll find out exactly what happened unless given the opportunity to speak to Anthony himself, but by the sounds of it, he felt unsafe on campus. For lack of a better word, he was bullied, having received a 750k bonus from baseball, drove a nice car, etc. Is it an excuse? I’m going to reserve judgement until I know more.

   It's easy to see how an 18 year-old from a very small town deep in the American south felt unsafe on a university campus in a bigger city.  Given the poverty of Mississippi (the per capita income of Petal is 18% below the national average), and the difference in crime rates between Petal and Hattiesburg, Alford may have been unable to handle the responsibility that would come with having such a huge amount of cash thrust upon him, and  became very mistrustful of most people around him.  And it's easy to for us Canadians to forget that there is something of a climate of fear in the U.S. that seems to grow as you move further south.  One could suggest, of course, that maybe putting that $750 large in the bank would've been a better idea, and maybe spending some of it on, say, an Escalade, might invite the sort of bullying Alford was supposedly subjected to, but our bet is that he didn't have many (if any) people around him recommending that sort of thing.
   The Jays, for their part, have been very patient with Alford, allowing him to leave in early August last year and this in order to get ready for football season.  He is starting the season with the GCL Jays, where he had a brief trial last year, and may be accelerated to either Bluefield or Vancouver, depending on his progress.
   Chris King of Baseball Prospectus watched Alford in a GCL game this week and came away impressed:

   Sportsnet's Shi Davidi offers the following insight:

‘There’s a school of thought that the environment in Vancouver plus the day-to-day life of professional ball combined with the reality that Alford must miss a year of football because of his transfer (he also will be switching to cornerback from quarterback) may convince him to focus exclusively on baseball.’

   None of this is meant to excuse Alford's behaviour last fall.  It is meant to remind us, however, that he is very young, and may not have come from an upbringing that left him best prepared to deal with the circumstances he found himself in last fall.  The Jays, for their part, seem to be catching on to the need to surround Alford with positive role models.  Hence his rooming with Hill, who is a college grad - Alford acknowledged that he learned a great deal from Hill in his short time with him.  Keeping him in the GCL, which is the lowest level of baseball's minor leagues, where there are sparse (if any) crowds for their Florida afternoon games, is also sheltering him a bit.  Alford had told Jason Munz of the American that he figured he was bound for Vancouver after extended spring training (which would be two levels above the GCL). Given his stalled professional development, however, keeping him in the GCL is perhaps the best idea, at least until he has shown that he has outgrown that level.

   The thing to remember, of course, is that small-town boy Alford just turned 19 years old, and was handed a great deal of the spotlight and money before he was really ready to handle it, and didn't have anyone around him giving him the right kind of advice and support.  On various Jays forums last fall, many posters complained about Alford's lack of character.  And that's really not fair, because it's a judgement not necessarily made with all the facts. 

   In some earlier posts, even though Alford has all-world athletic ability, and has been labelled the best athlete in the Jays system, we've been hesitant to rank him as a top prospect because of his football commitment.  It's cost him some precious development.  At the same time, his development as a young man in more important.  Hopefully, the Jays are considering that as much as they are his ability to hit breaking balls.

   Again, this is not an apology for Alford's actions.  It's an attempt to understand it.

 

Weekend Wrap

   With the opening of the short season leagues, things are becoming very busy for a prospects blogger.
We thought we would provide a brief summary of the many and varied things going on in the Blue Jays system this past weekend.

AAA- Buffalo
   The Bisons enjoyed the presence of a rehabbing Jose Reyes both on the field and at the box office this weekend.
  Reyes went 5-13 for the Bisons, as they took 2 of 3 from Durham.  Sunday's finale was a 14-inning affair, which the Bulls won, 1-0.
   Outfielder Kevin Pillar, who was promoted from New Hampshire, went 3-11 for the weekend.
   Buffalo drew over 40 000 fans for the series.


AA - New Hampshire
   The Fisher Cats took 2 of 3 from Harrisburg.
On Friday, Marcus Stroman continued his mastery of Eastern League hitters, giving up a run on 3 hits over 5 innings, with one walk and 4 K's. The bullpen couldn't hang onto the lead Stroman had left them, dropping the opener.
  Sean Nolin matched his career high with 7 strong innings on Saturday, getting his 4th win of the season, as the Fisher Cats topped the Senators, 4-1.  Nolin gave up a run and 4 hits, struck out 7, and walked none.
  Marcus Walden gave New Hampshire their third straight strong starting performance on Sunday, tossing a 3-hit shutout in a 7-0 victory.  Walden, a 9th round draft choice in the 2007 draft, rarely tops 90 on the radar, but kept Harrisburg hitters off balance all day, scattering 3 hits, and allowing no walks while striking out 5.  In his tidy, 90-pitch effort, Walden had 19 groundouts.

High A - Dunedin
   The D-Jays lost 2 of 3 to Daytona, and took on Brevard County on Sunday.
Top prospect Aaron Sanchez returned to the mound on Friday night after a month-long shutdown because of shoulder issues, and showed no effect from the layoff, tossing 3 scoreless innings.  Sanchez allowed only one hit, walked none, and struck out 3. The lights-out bullpen duo of Tyler Ybarra and John Anderson recorded the win and save, respectively, in the Jays' victory.
  On Saturday, righthander Kyle Drabek made his first rehab start after sitting out almost a year recovering Tommy John surgery. In 2 1/3 innings, Drabek allowed 5 hits and a pair of runs, striking out 2 and walking 1.  Drabek took the loss as the D-Jays fell to the Cubs, 2-1.

Low A - Lansing
   The Lugnuts had their hats handed to them by division rival Bowling Green Hot Rods, who swept all three games.
  In the opener, 4 Hot Rods' pitchers combined to toss a no-hitter against Lansing.
On Saturday, Roberto Osuna, in his 3rd start since returning from a stint on the disabled list, was roughed up for 6 runs in 3 innings by Bowling Green hitters.  Osuna gave up only 3 hits, but was uncharacteristically wild, allowing 4 walks, while striking out 3.

Short Season - Vancouver
    After dropping 3 of their first 4 games, the two-time defending Northwest League champs reeled off 5 wins in a row.
  Thunder Bay, ON, native Eric Brown has started the season 2-0, with a 1.54 ERA. The Jays selected the UBC grad in the 50th round of the 2011 draft.

Rookie - Bluefield
   The Jays took 2 of their first 3 games.
Chase DeJong, Toronto's 2nd round choice in the 2012 draft, threw 5 scoreless innings to get the win in the club's Appalachian League season opener.  Shane Dawson, of Drayton Valley, AB, tossed 4 innings without giving up a run to get the save and preserve the shutout. Dawson surrendered only one hit and one walk, and struck out 5.
  Shortstop Dawel Lugo, a 2011 international free agent signing, went 5-13 over the first 3 games, while centrefielder DJ Davis, the Jays' first round pick in the 2012 draft, opened the season 5-14, including a pair of triples.  Davis is repeating at Bluefield after struggling at Vancouver after a late season promotion last year.  At the rate he's going, Davis may not be in the Appy League for long.

Rookie - GCL Blue Jays
   If a home run is hit in the GCL, does anyone hear it?
   The Gulf Coast League is the league that nobody sees.
Played at the major league clubs' spring training complexes, the GCL doesn't charge for admission - since the games are played mostly in the heat and humidity of a Florida summer afternoon, attendance is minimal, anyway. Throw in a lack of concessions, and there isn't much incentive to go.
  Populated mostly by high school grads and international signees getting their first taste of pro ball and life in America, the GCL is all about development.
   Two players of note that we've been following are shortstop Franklin Barreto and outfielder Anthony Alford.  Barreto, a top  international signing last year, went 2-5 and drove in a pair of runs in his pro debut this weekend.  Baseball America had this to say about him:

  There are few amateurs who have ever had Barreto's extensive track record of dominance representing Venezuela during international competitions. Barreto has played in international tournaments since he was 10 in 2006. He was the MVP at the Pan American 12-and-under tournament in September 2008, then later that month led Venezuela to another title by winning the Criollitos de America title en route to being named the 2008 athlete of the year by the Corporacion Criolltos of Venezuela. He won another MVP in July 2010 at the 14-and-under Pan American championship, then last August starred at the 16-and-under World 
Championship.
  
   Barreto only turned 17 this past March.  Normally, kids his age would be kept in the Dominican complex league for the summer, but his advanced approach at the plate has likely accelerated his development.

   Alford, the Jays' 3rd round pick in last year's draft, has been seen as a gamble because of his football committment.  After a brief audition last year, Alford is repeating the GCL again.  He went 1-5 in his first game.  Alford was late coming to extended spring training because of football, and will be leaving in early August to continue to chase his football dreams, but will be quickly promoted by the Jays just the same if he shows signs of progress.  He is easily the best athlete in the system, a true five-tool player.

Friday Droppings: Sanchez is Back !!

  A few items for a Friday.....

   Righthander Aaron Sanchez, our top ranked Blue Jays' prospect, is making his return to the mound  for Dunedin tonight against the Cubs' Daytona affiliate in Florida State League action.
   Sanchez has been on the minor league disabled list since May 18th with shoulder soreness.  He was immediately shut down, and then apparently was placed on a throwing program.  According to Sportsnet's Shi Davidi earlier this week, the Jays were very silent about Sanchez' recovery timetable.
   At the same time, it's good to see Baseball America's 65th ranked prospect back on the mound.  The D-Jays, who won a close Northern Division first half race last week, are likely just as pleased to see one of the anchors of their rotation returning.

  In other news.....

   The Bluefield Jays, the club's Rookie team in the Appalachian League, opened their 2013 season with a 5-0 home shutout of the Greeneville Astros.  Chase DeJong, the Jays' 2nd round pick in the 2012 draft out of Woodrow Wilson HS in Long Beach, CA, didn't have his best stuff, but stayed down in the zone, and got some timely plays in the field behind him in throwing 5 shutout innings. Shane Dawson, a Drayton Valley, AB native who the Jays drafted in the 17th round of the 2012 draft, threw four scoreless innings, striking out 5, to preserve the shutout.  Shortstop Dawel Lugo had 3 hits for the B-Jays.

   Earlier this week, we nominated 8 players who we thought merited a promotion to the next level.
With the advancement of outfielder Kevin Pillar from AA New Hampshire to AAA Buffalo, we're now at least 2 for 8.  3B Gustavo Pierre was promoted from Low A Lansing to High A Dunedin earlier this week, and there are rumours that Dunedin 3B Andy Burns has been sent to New Hampshire to join the Fisher Cats.
 
   The Jays signed Benedict (SC) College infielder Lydell Moseby and assigned him to the rookie level Gulf Coast Jays. Moseby was not drafted in the recent MLB entry draft.  Moseby hit .418 with 11HR and 55 RBI, and was named the SIAC Utility Player of the Year.    He is the son of Lloyd Moseby, whom the Jays picked 2nd overall in the 1978 draft.  The elder Moseby made his MLB debut in 1979, and stayed with the Jays until the end of the 1988 season, and was named to the All Star game in 1986.