PawSox Update - Moss, Hansack Continue to Show Potential

A couple of our favorite Sox farmhands continue to have impressive debuts in their '07 AAA seasons. Devern Hansack, who helped pitch the '06 SeaDogs to the AA EL Championship and had a 5 inning no hitter at Fenway in the last game of the '06 campaign, had another very strong outing tonight against Durham. Hansack pitched 5, gave up 1ER on 2H, struck out 10 in those 5 innings (second start in a row with 10Ks), and had 1BB. His ERA YTD is 0.84.

[Riddle me this Batman - why are the BoSox fooling around with rickety Joel Pineiro in a steup role with arms like Hansack at Pawtucket?]



OF Brandon Moss, AA EL Championship Series MVP in '06, had 2 more hits tonight and is batting .310 at AAA.

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Backing Up the Backup?

Sox catching prospect George Kottaras, obtained in the David Wells deal last year from San Diego, looks like he is off to a good start at Pawtucket. The PawSox finally lost today in 12 innings, but Kottaras, through 3 games, has 4BB and 1K, and 2H in 11ABs - an OBP of .400 YTD. Kottaras also has a .361 lifetime OBP in the minors.



In 2006 Boston Red Sox catcher 
Doug Mirabelli had 11 walks and 54Ks in 161ABs, and an OBP of .261 for the season.



You do the math folks.

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PawSox Update - Moss, Pauley, Hansack Shine

The PawSox started the season in non-snowy Charlotte against the ChiSox' Knights, and so far, so good (3-0). A few names to watch:

• David Pauley took over tonight after Mike (rehab) Timlin started and went one inning. Pauley went 6IP, surrendered 3 hits and no ER, walked 1 and struckout 5.
• RF Brandon Moss doubled, now batting .385 in the young season  after going 2 for 4 yesterday
• C George Kottaras also doubled, now hitting .286 (teach him the knuckler!)
  
  
• Craig Hansen got a save yesterday with 2IP, 1BB and 4Ks.
• A guy we like because he has a lot of guts, Devern Hansack, started yesterday for the PawSox and got the win; 5.2IP, 1ER, 4H, 10Ks, 1BB.
  
  

Yes, John Lester is the "annointed" 5th Red Sox starter when he is ready, but we think Hansack should get a shot if somebody goes down in the rotation or the bullpen.

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I Love Baseball......But.....

A very tough week for New England-based AA teams; we got hit with very cold weather and over a foot of snow in New Hampshire and Maine this week - effectively neutralizing the Thursday Opening Day and Series efforts of the FisherCats and the EL Champion SeaDogs. Both Manchester and Portland postponed Thursday and Friday games; Portland has also given up on playing Sunday, and re-scheduled the season opener until Monday evening at 6PM.



As of late this afternoon, Manchester was still going to play on Saturday vs. Connecticut, first rescheduling the 1:05PM start until 3:05, and then to 4:05. The team's web site carried the following advisory: "Fans, please be aware there is still snow in many of the seating areas,
so we encourage you to wear boots if you come to Merchantsauto.com
Stadium today." It was in the 30s with 25mph wind gusts at game time. That said, note that Saturday at the FisherCats was Sovereign Bank Fleece Blanket giveaway day. Hmmmm........



I love baseball and have waited through a long off-season for opening day, but watching baseball while trudging to my seat in snow boots is too much even for me. We'll get started looking at players next week, though the weather is not predicted to be much better.

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Rosters Announced, Highlights - Season On Tap

The AA Eastern League and the region's only AAA teams released their starting 2007 rosters today, several days before starting the season later this week (Thursday). Of note:

• Pawsox - Will Craig Hansen get his head screwed back on straight at low pressure Pawtucket, out of the Fenway glare? We'd like to see Edgar Martinez get a shot as a setup guy at Fenway should somebody get hurt or not cut the mustard (or if Mike Timlin is really done at 41). Can George Kottaras fill Jason Varitek's full-time shoes in '08 (or later in '07 if 'Tek is done too)? There is probably no question that David Murphy or Brandon Moss will get the first call to Boston if (or when) an outfielder goes down - personally I am betting that Moss has a big year at Pawtucket and earns the call.  http://www.pawsox.com/team/?pawsox_session=c7a1dc7f3fd4570408127187ae9964d3
• Defenders: A lot of familiar names on the Norwich line card this year, including a few names that have come over from last year's New Britain team. It is unusual to see a 32 year old at AA (OF Quincy Foster). This could be a make or break year for Von Schell, McMains, or Ortmeier, returnees looking to have better and more consistent AA showings to insure a AAA future. http://www.ctdefenders.com/roster/players/
  
  
• RockCats: It is always a pleasure to see the fine prospects at New Britain every year, and this year is no exception. We'll have to wait until tomorrow for the roster announcement. http://www.rockcats.com/team/roster/
  
  
• Fisher Cats: Signed by the Blue Jays as minor league free agent, we get to see how the ace of the 2005 Brazilian national team, 36-year old Jo Matumoto - MVP of the 2005 South American games - does at AA. The Cats have a lot of returning 2006 team members (including 6'5" 240lb. southpaw David Purcey), and also have 6 AAA players starting this season at AA including three pitchers. Like Norwich, some of these FisherCat veterans better find the path to AAA Syracuse by year's end - nobody makes a living planning a three year career at AA. http://www.nhfishercats.com/?id=3
  
  
• Portland - The reigning AA Eastern League Champs open the season Thursday night in Portland (Brrrrrrr.....) with a Championship Ring ceremony - their first. Top prospect Jacoby Ellsbury will not play the whole year at AA if he plays as well in the first half of the season as he did last year - he'll be on the fast track to Pawtucket. We are surprised to see knuckleballer Charlie Zink sent back to AA; we guessed he would be assigned to Pawtucket to school Kottaras on how to catch the dancing ball so the parent club can finally get out from carrying Doug Mirabelli as Wake's personal catcher. We like infielders David Bacani and Jed Lowrie and look forward to seeing them this year. http://www.seadogs.com/roster.html
  
  

That's all for now folks.

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On Deck - Notes on Minor Leaguers

This new Blog is getting geared up for the start of the minor league season in a few weeks. Our Goal: provide you updates, reports, and observations on prospects at a number of different levels - Short Season A (NY Penn), AA Eastern League, and AAA International League. We'll also give you, on occasion, previews from the NECBL and the Massachusetts Legion baseball leagues.

We'll tell you who looks likes they are on their way, who looks like they have peaked, and who will never make it. We'll cover about 50 or more games per year - from Pawtucket, Norwich, New Britain, Manchester, Portland, and Lowell, and others as we can get to them.

Love baseball? Are you actually interested in who the "two [nameless] minor leaguers," traded away at the trading deadline are and what they could be (such as Freddie Sanchez, Hanley Ramirez, etc.?)

Check in with us. I sit with the scouts, watch the at bats, take my Thinkpad, and we'll tell you what you want to know.

Thanks and welcome -

John M.