8/6/09

Minors Stuff




Extended Camp:.


Jose Reyes (10/4)Luis Castillo (8/8)It's not my rule, but it is the simplest of rules in sports medicine: do everything possible before surgery. Players, ATCs, even doctors do everything they can to avoid putting someone under the knife. Sometimes the timing and failure of the conservative approach makes people question this, but it's the rule for a reason. Now, with surgery back on the table for Reyes in light of his latest setback, many moaning Mets fans are wondering why this wasn't done earlier; I'm wondering why it's back on. The type of surgery being discussed would sever a tendon and has only been done in baseball a few times, with both Edgar Martinez and Ricky Ledee back in 2002. Both players came back, but neither plays the same way that Reyes does. It would stun me if the Mets went this route at this stage, even with the three- or four-month recovery period that surgery involves. Reyes overcame chronic hamstring problems at the start of his career, and had a subsequent long run of health. I can't believe they would abandon that for something so aggressive and truly untested. If Reyes is shut down or sent for surgery, that may affect the comeback of Carlos Beltran as well as a few others, though not Carlos Delgado or Billy Wagner, who need the showcasing. The Mets got more bad news last night with Castillo spraining his ankle. Worse, he did it in the dugout, not on the field. There's no word yet on the severity, though he's expected to miss at least a couple of games.
http://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9341



Clones:
The Cyclones are in first place. They’ve got the best rotation in the league and a slugger who saves all his homers for home games. Even the Beach Bums are hotter than ever. So why are Brooklynites staying away from Keyspan Park?
The Clones are drawing the smallest crowds in their nine-year history, with average attendance down five percent compared to this time last season and 12 percent compared to 2007. The club has beat its previous low seven times already this season, setting a new record with 4,087 at a night game on July 14 against Williamsport.
And that’s paid attendance — not all season ticket holders show up every night. On some weekdays, the stands have been as deserted as Joe Sitt’s Fiasco By The Sea next door. And the lights have been off in many of the luxury boxes more often than not.

http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/32/31/32_31_zf_cyc_column.html


Beginning this weekend (8/8, 8/9), there will be an increase in the KeySpan Park parking lot rate for patrons using the lot two or more hours before the start of a Cyclones game. The new weekend rate will be $20 per day for a full day of parking.If you are entering the parking lot specifically for a Cyclones game during the designated Cyclones access period (starting two hours before gametime – i.e 4pm or later for a 6pm game), you will still be charged just $5. There has been no increase in the Cyclones’ game-day parking rate.In addition, if you park in the KeySpan Park parking lot in the early morning, but leave BEFORE the Cyclones gameday parking period (two hours before gametime), you will be refunded $10.The hope is that the increased rate, and incentive to leave before gametime, will lead to more open parking spots for Cyclones fans closer to gametime.As always, we encourage fans to take public transportation to and from the games when possible to avoid the problems and costs of traffic and parking. However, this new policy should help to alleviate the weekend parking issues we have been facing.


K-Port:

Jeff Flagg and R.J. Harris hit home runs to help the Kingsport Mets to a 10-6 Appalachian League win over the Bristol Sox on Tuesday night.
The victory was the fourth straight for the K-Mets, their longest streak of the season.
Kingsport (14-23) took control of the game in the fifth inning when Alonzo Harris reached on a throwing error, Richard Lucas drew a walk and Flagg hit his sixth home run of the season. Michael Moras then knocked in Joseph Bonfe to put the K-Mets up 5-1.
Kingsport manufactured four more runs in the eighth inning, helped out by three walks.
Mets Alumni:

-- For five innings, Pedro Martinez was razor sharp.
He was hitting the corners with his fastball and his offspeed pitches had the Trenton Thunder hitters reaching.
Though Martinez unraveled a little bit in the sixth, he turned in his best performance in three rehab starts with the Phillies organization. On Wednesday before an all-time record crowd of 9,953 at FirstEnergy Stadium, Martinez gave up five hits and four runs (three earned) in six innings. More importantly, he threw 82 pitches, struck out 11 and didn't walk a batter.
With Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. and special assistant to the general manager Charley Kerfeld watching from behind home plate, Martinez showed glimpses of his dominating stuff. It was a much more impressive start than his previous one last Friday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, when he surrendered five runs in five innings in an 84-pitch outing.

http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090805&content_id=6267846&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi

Lastings Milledge – Another player who was once touted as a five-tool talent, Milledge was the most highly thought of amateur among the four players in this article. While he put up solid numbers in his first full season in the majors last year (.320 wOBA and .134 IsoP), he failed to have the true breakout that people were expecting. He showcased his speed, as he stole 24 bases in 33 attempts, but his power has yet to become elite or even average, as he has yet to post an IsoP above .174 at any level where he has logged at least 100 plate appearances. While he will likely never be a 30/30 player, it wouldn’t stun me to see Milledge put up a couple of 20/20 years. Of the four players listed here, I have the most faith in him going forward.

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