5/16 games

[BigEdWalsh]

Felix Diaz (0-1, 2.53) and Charlotte lost 2-1.
Bajenaru: .2 IP, 2 K
Bajenaru Season: 17g, 17.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 9 BB, 17 SO, 1-0, 2 SV, 0.52 E.R.A.
Anderson: 2-3, .307
Borchard: 1-4, 2B, .190
Burke: 0-3, RBI, .252

Birmingham won 4-3. The Barons are 18-19, 1.5 games out of 1st.
Tracey: 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO; 3.22
Reynoso: 1 IP, 1 BB, 2 SO; W(2-1), 1.08
Jenks: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 SO; SV(9), 2.60
Sweeney: 3-4, .337
Reyes: 2-4, R, RBI, .266

Winston-Salem did not play. The Hogs are 20-17, 2 games out of 1st.

Kannapolis lost 3-1. The I's are 19-19, 5 games out of 1st.
Egbert suffered the loss but pitched well and went the distance, 2-2, 1.96.
De Los Santos: 1-4, 2B, RBI, .288

[mdep524]

Originally Posted by BigEdWalsh

Birmingham won 4-3. The Barons are 18-19, 1.5 games out of 1st.
Tracey: 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO; 3.22
Reynoso: 1 IP, 1 BB, 2 SO; W(2-1), 1.08
Jenks: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 SO; SV(9), 2.60
Sweeney: 3-4, .337
Reyes: 2-4, R, RBI, .266

Sweeney seems to be turning it on nicely at AA, but I noticed today he has yet to hit a HR. Is that a concern? Is he expected to "grow" into more power as he fills out and matures, or is he just not a power guy? Or is this beginning of the season just an aberration?

[ma_deuce]

Originally Posted by BigEdWalsh

Anderson: 2-3, .307

B.A. Rulez!

[BigEdWalsh]

Originally Posted by mdep524

Sweeney seems to be turning it on nicely at AA, but I noticed today he has yet to hit a HR. Is that a concern? Is he expected to "grow" into more power as he fills out and matures, or is he just not a power guy? Or is this beginning of the season just an aberration?

So far in his development he hasn't been a "power guy". I think experts believe eventually power will come. He's 6'4" and only 20 yrs old. Sweeney has been rushed along a bit because he is so talented. One thing is for sure, he's gonna GOOD.

[maurice]

Good to see Diaz back and pitching well.

The Kanny game was a track meet, as WV oddly decided to try and run
all over the Egbert / Hernandez battery. The results were mixed:
- 1 throwing error by Hernandez
- 3 SB, including a steal of home
- 2 CS and 2 pickoffs

[Randar68]

Originally Posted by BigEdWalsh

So far in his development he hasn't been a "power guy". I think experts believe eventually power will come. He's 6'4" and only 20 yrs old. Sweeney has been rushed along a bit because he is so talented. One thing is for sure, he's gonna GOOD.

He is very talented, and nobody can realistically say he's been pushed faster than his bat can handle. That said, if he was moved slower, it's possible he'd make the adjustments for hitting for power more rapidly, but that's only speculation.

His hitting for high average and OBP is going to carry him to the MLB level, and I really don't know if you'll see him work on hitting for power until he establishes himself at the MLB level or get's a chance to spend extended time in the minors due to a lack of need at the MLB level.

The more I see him, the more I like the Olerud comparisons. I think he's a safe bet to average 20 HR's in his prime with a .330+ average. He's that good a hitter. Again, being as tall as he is and left-handed, I'd really love to see them convert him to 1st base, but that's just me.

He also is a hard worker with the weights, but he's just not at the age yet where he's started to widen the shoulders and chest and really fill out. I had a similar build and such and didn't really fill out until I was about 24...

Strength is only a part of power, but he has been happy to take pitches the other way, has good recognition and bat control, doesn't often look for pitches to go deep on, pull hard. Spraying the ball and putting it in play has been good enough for his career up until now. However, I know he has very good power when he does connect with one of those aggressive pull-conscious swings...

[California Sox]

Randar, I also like the Olerud comparison but another guy (who was also compared to Olerud coming up) that seems even closer to Sweeney in my mind is Shawn Green. And Green didn't really demonstrate any power until his third year in the majors. (The obvious problem with that is he spent most of his time in a B.J. uni developing then had 2 good years and forced a trade.) Do you think Sweeney could develop into a Green-like player?

Also, on the subject of power developing late, Robin Ventura played his first full season in AA at 22 and he hit a grand total of 2 homers, so there is precedent in our own recent past.

[Randar68]

Originally Posted by California Sox

Randar, I also like the Olerud comparison but another guy (who was also compared to Olerud coming up) that seems even closer to Sweeney in my mind is Shawn Green. And Green didn't really demonstrate any power until his third year in the majors. (The obvious problem with that is he spent most of his time in a B.J. uni developing then had 2 good years and forced a trade.) Do you think Sweeney could develop into a Green-like player?

Also, on the subject of power developing late, Robin Ventura played his first full season in AA at 22 and he hit a grand total of 2 homers, so there is precedent in our own recent past.

I agree completely, he's a good enough hitter that it's bringing him faster than what his power would indicate. Shawn Green is a pretty good comparison, although I don't think Sweeney will ever hit more than 40 HR's in a season, although anything is possible as young hitters develop. He has that smooth LH'd swing and good bat control that both Olerud and Green had... I know there is a lot of power bottled up in there somewhere, just not sure how/when, if ever, he'll show it. It's easy to project someone and call it 30 or 40 HR's, but it's hard to set a realistic expectation of what someone is likely to produce.