Minors Stuff

The Herd:

Members of the 2009 Buffalo Bisons have had precious few chances to smile, but pitcher Nelson Figueroa and manager Ken Oberkfell will have a few hours to enjoy themselves tonight.
The pair will represent Buffalo on the International League team during the Triple-A All- Star Game (10 p.m., ESPN2, Radio 1520 AM). The IL will take on the best from the Pacific Coast League at PGE Park, home of the Portland (Ore.) Beavers.

Figueroa, 35, is one of 10 pitchers on the IL squad. He is 5-4 with a 2.50 ERA � fourth-best in the IL. He has a team-high 90 innings and went 3-0 with a 1.53 ERA last month.
Oberkfell, 53, is in his first season as manager of the Bisons and fifth year as the New York Mets' Triple-A manager. He was selected last month to serve on the staff of IL manager Rick Sweet (Louisville).

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bisons/story/733624.html


B-Mets:

They're two changes Josh Thole made in his game last year, when he was playing Single-A ball for the St. Lucie Mets. One involved his position. The other was a slight but critical change in his hitting.

Those two adjustments are a big reason why Thole is where he is today. The Binghamton Mets' catcher has been his team's best player and one of the top hitters in the Eastern League all season.

Thole, 22, is one of three B-Mets named to the Northern Division team for tonight's Eastern League All-Star Game at Waterfront Park in Trenton, N.J. Outfielder D.J. Wabick and relief pitcher Roy Merritt are the other two and are scheduled to play.

Thole's not going to be in Trenton, as he's still on the B-Mets' disabled list with the dislocated left thumb he suffered on June 30. But he's been the B-Mets' most consistent player, one of the few bright spots in what's been an otherwise dismal season for the team.

http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20090715/SPORTS02/907150322/1118/sports/B-Mets++Thole+a+catcher+on+the+rise


Gnats:


The Sand Gnats will host a Beeper-Ball game for the visually-impaired before Monday night’s home contest against the Hickory Crawdads. A past tradition at Historic Grayson Stadium, Beeper-Ball will once again be a part of the exciting homestand fun this week as the Savannah Sand Gnats partner up with The Lions’ Club for this special event. The Lions’ Club will be selling tickets to the game as a fundraiser that will benefit Georgia’s Camp for the Blind. To contact the Lions’ Club about tickets, call Chris Barbieri at 912.661.3672. Beeper Ball is a game that enables those who cannot see to play baseball by using sound rather than sight. The baseball will be beeping as it is pitched to let the batter know when to swing. Bases will beep to direct the base runners and the ball will continue to make noise to allow the outfielders to field the baseball. Celebrities from around Savannah will be coming out to Grayson Stadium as members of the opposing team, and will be wearing blind-folds to participate in Beeper-Ball. The game provides a unique opportunity for kids who cannot normally participate in sports such as baseball to come out and play at Grayson. The Beeper-Ball game will be played directly before the final game of the eight-game homestand on Monday, July 20.

Clones:

Box ScoreThe Brooklyn Cyclones (17-8) dropped the first game of a six-game homestand, 10-4, to the Williamsport Crosscutters (14-11).The Cyclones took an early 3-0 lead through the first three innings. SS Angel Berroa walked with two outs in the second inning, and scored on a double to deep right center by RF Luis Rivera. Later in the inning, Rivera scored from second on a wild pitch that the catcher could not find. In the third inning LF Alex Gregory led off with a walk, and advanced to third on a groundout. With two outs, CF John Servidio singled to score Gregory from third. All three runs scored with two outs in the inning. LHP Darin Gorski made his second start for the Cyclones. Gorski (pictured, by George Napolitano) came out strong with two quick 1-2-3 innings to begin the game. In the fourth inning, though, Gorski allowed Williamsport's first hit on a solo home run to left field. Williamsport later scored four runs in the fifth inning to take a lead they would not relinquish. Gorski was charged with five runs on six hits, walked two batters and struck out four in five innings. RHP Wes Wrenn relieved Gorski to start the sixth inning. Wrenn allowed three runs over two innings, struck out two and surrendered four hits. RHP Mike Lynn relieved Wrenn to start the eighth inning, and pitched two innings, allowing two runs and two hits, and had three strikeouts.DH Dock Doyle, Rivera, and Gregory each had one double, with Doyle and Rivera each notching a two-hit game. Servidio, Berroa, and C Juan Centeno contributed with one single each. Gregory, Rivera and Servidio each had one RBI.

http://www.brooklyncyclones.com/news/topstories/index.html?article_id=710


Draft:

Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post says Stephen Strasburg hasn't heard from the Nationals since they drafted him last month. He's received nothing more than a minor league contract offer, which the Nats have to present as a formality. Though Strasburg seemed "a bit perplexed" by the slow pace of negotiations, the Nationals aren't expected to sign the first overall pick and Golden Spikes Award winner this month.

Boswell says the Nats, who are now under the uncertain leadership of an interim GM and an interim manager, can't afford to "poke themselves in the eye" by making an offer that agent Scott Boras refutes publicly. However, they don't want to alienate their top pick by failing to communicate.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com


Mets Alumni:


Heath Bell (left) is never at a shortage of words. And the ex-Met, who was charged with the loss, had plenty to say. Bell said he was at a disadvantage because he didn’t have a scouting report. He allowed a triple to Curtis Granderson, who ultimately scored on a sacrifice fly to break a tie in the eighth.
“I’m driving with my eyes closed,” Bell said about not having a scouting report.
As for potentially costing home-field advantage for the rival Dodgers in the World Series, Bell added: “Well, they’ve won so many games this year. And I’ve ruined games for the Dodgers like two or three times with saves against them. I guess I’m just doing what I normally do.”
Bell said he was upset, though. “I threw my glove. I kicked the door, like I normally do. Then I realized, ‘Hey, I’ve been pitching really good lately and I kind of needed a wakeup call.’ And this was a very good wakeup call because this doesn’t count on my record. I didn’t ruin it for the Padres, my ultimate team.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/#ixzz0LKq4PRJg&D