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3/21/10

Minors Stuff: - Fogg, Ike, Kirk... and Bell

AAA-Buffalo:

RHP Josh Fogg, who really had no chance of making the Mets once he hurt a side muscle before ST started, was granted his release. Look for him to show up on some other AAA team roster.


 
 
Matt Hagen, over at hardballtimes had the following to say about 1B Ike Davis: 
 
"At an uncertain position, Daniel Murphy seems like he will get the initial shot at first base for the Mets. Davis will be waiting patiently at Triple-A, where he could spend most of the year. Trying to find a middle ground, expect a full-time debut for Davis in August or September.

He also projected Davis out with average-year stats of: .270/.352/19-HR/129-K... and one stolen base.

Look, I know I'm not an expert on this, but how in the hell can you project the amount of strikeouts when you don't even know who's going to pitch?

And when the fuck will the one stolen base take place???


AA-Binghamton:

Jeff Sullivan of SB Nation wrote in his 2010 anaysis of the Mets:

"...beyond that, there have been two major surprises from this draft class: Third-round pick Kirk Nieuwenhuis—an outfielder who has displayed impressive power, speed, and defensive tools; and 24th round pick RHP Kyle Allen—a two-way player in college who was considered an early-to-mid-round talent that fell due to a strong perceived commitment to attend NC State..."

Sullivan is correct. Nieuwenhuis has been a solid find and led the league last year when you average together HRs, OBP, and SLUG%...  and Allen was a complete steal:

15. Kirk Nieuwenhuis – OF –


From: www.apu.edu:

Junior center fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Baseball America’s 2008 NAIA Preseason Player of the Year, returns after a standout sophomore season to lead the Azusa Pacific offense … Had a breakout summer campaign in which he earned Alaska Baseball League MVP honors … Will be the centerpiece and hit in the middle of the Cougar lineup … Possesses a dangerous power/speed combination … Will make a run at several program career records.

Also from http://www.apu.edu/:

Nieuwenhuis, Baseball America’s 2008 NAIA Preseason Player of the Year and a 2008 NAIA All-American first team selection, batted .400 (90-for-225) with 20 doubles, 15 home runs, 68 RBIs, and a program single-season record 84 runs for the Cougars as they advanced to the NAIA World Series for the second straight season, just the second time in program history the program had made back-to-back World Series trips. Through 3 seasons at Azusa Pacific, Nieuwenhuis has also set 2 career marks with 12 triples and 190 runs.

The 6-foot-3 centerfielder was named the 2007 MVP of the prestigious Alaska Baseball League, a summer collegiate wood-bat league that regularly showcases future professional baseball talent. Nieuwenhuis batted .333 (52-for-156) in 40 games for the Athletes In Action Fire squad, registering 8 doubles, 4 triples, 4 home runs, and team-highs of 35 runs and 30 RBIs.

From: http://naia.cstv.com/:

Azusa Pacific (Calif.) University junior centerfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis was selected by the New York Mets with their third-round selection, the 100th overall pick of the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Nieuwenhuis was the lone NAIA baseball player selected on Day 1. The second and final day of the draft continues on Friday (June 6) from the Disney Sports Complex. For complete coverage of the draft, click here.

"I really had no idea who was going to pick me, or even if I would go the first day (of the 2-day draft)," said Nieuwenhuis. "I had gotten calls from a lot of different teams, and I didn't guess it would be the third round, but God is good, and it came earlier than I expected. I was ecstatic."

Nieuwenhuis, Baseball America's 2008 NAIA Preseason Player of the Year and a 2008 NAIA All-American first team selection, batted .400 (90-for-225) with 20 doubles, 15 home runs, 68 RBIs, and a program single-season record 84 runs for the Cougars as they advanced to the NAIA World Series for the second straight season, just the second time in program history the program had made back-to-back World Series trips. Through through seasons at Azusa Pacific, Nieuwenhuis has also set two career marks with 12 triples and 190 runs.

In August 2009, Nieuwenhuis made the Baseball America Hot List with: “Sorry Kirk, but we just blew the lid off your stealth campaign in the Florida State League. Only a five-homer showing by Brett Wallace in Triple-A stood in the way of a No. 1 ranking. Batting .259/.346/.441 with 15 homers, 27 doubles, 64 RBIs and 16 steals (in 20 attempts), Nieuwenhuis leads the FSL in home runs, extra-base hits (46) and runs scored (81). And he's just four off the leaders for RBIs and doubles. Don't be fooled by that age; the physical, lefty-swinging Nieuwenhuis celebrated a birthday two weeks ago and actually spent most of the season as a 21-year-old. An '08 third-round pick, he skipped right over low Class A on his way from NAIA Azusa Pacific (Calif.) to the FSL this season. It's hard to argue with the results.”

9-9-9 From http://www.hardballtimes.com/ : - Nieuwenhuis, a centerfielder out of Azusa Pacific University, was having a pretty good year until August started. Then he had an excellent year. Nieu's combination of speed and power was a lethal combination, leading to a .193 ISO and sixteen stolen bases in twenty tries. With a .383 wOBA in St. Lucie, the lefty, who spent most of the year as a 21 year-old, moved up to Binghamton and finished the year strong, hitting .406/.472/.656 in 36 plate appearances.

I wrote on Feb 10: - Kirk Nieuwenhuis – Nieuwenhuis has very quietly become the top outfield prospect in the organization. He was a 3rd rounder in 2008, out of Azusa Pacific, and has a lifetime .807 OPS after two professional seasons. Kirk either led or was in the top five in just about every offensive category last year in the Sally League.

Ex-Minors:
 
I read a blurb on BTBS... "Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported via Twitter that the Twins were heavily scouting Padres closer Heath Bell in anticipation of potential trade talks. Of course, Minnesota's interest in Bell isn't really surprising given that incumbent closer Joe Nathan is likely to be out all season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament.
 
Bell is another of the many young pitchers that were signed -pre-Omar, that were discarded for no apparant reason other than the fact that they were part of an old administration decision. This happens on every team and sometimes threatens to tear an organization apart, like the way it's happening in the Pirates camp this year.
 
Bell played in the Mets organization from 1998-2006, which included 81 appearances for the Queens team... no, he wasn't lights out then, but sure has become so the past three years in San Diego:
 
2007:  6-4, 2.02, 0.96, in 81-G
2008:  6-6, 3.58, 1.21, in 74-G
2009:  6-4, 271, 1.12, in 68-G
 
Bell was traded along with RP Royce Ring, to San Diego, for P Jon Adkins, and OF Ben Johnson. Adkins broke in with Cincy last year (1-0, 2.45, 4-G) and Johnson is now out of baseball.
 
Famous Omar quote at the press conference announcing the trade:
 
    ""It may not be a sexy trade... you have to remember, the little ones are what count sometimes. Those are the ones."
 
He he...

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