I went to games from Thursday through Saturday last week. I saw every team, interviewed a bunch of prospects, and met a ton of great fans. Here are some of my observations and notes:
- Mark Reynolds’ (Utility, ARI) 2006 season was no fluke. He told me that he changed his entire hitting approach, going from pull happy to more of a hit the ball back up the middle approach. This allowed him to hit breaking balls more effectively. Once Reynolds settles in at second base full-time, he could become the best second base prospect in the minors.
- According to Gio Gonzalez (SP, PHI), the Mets had Mike Pelfrey start wearing a mouthpiece because he was tipping his pitches with his tongue.
- Nomar Garciaparra was out in Peoria watching his younger brother Michael, 23, play. The younger Garciaparra (2B, SEA) hit .311/.399/.397 between rookie ball, Double-A San Antonio, and Triple-A Tacoma – most at-bats were from Triple-A. Starting to look like a potential big leaguer, Michael has continued his solid season by hitting .342/.392/.384 in the AFL. He won’t hit for much power but Michael looks like he will help the Mariners at least as a utility man next season.
- Look out for Oakland’s Richard Robnett (OF). He still has some adjustments to make before he’ll be able to consistently hit breaking balls, but the former Fresno State Bulldog has some eye-popping power.
- Toronto Blue Jays’ catcher Curtis Thigpen is pretty much just a singles hitter, but his sound defensive footwork will make him a major leaguer.
- Joe Koshansky told me that the Rockies haven’t asked him to practice in the outfield. While he said he was confident that he would be able to handle a corner outfield job, the big lefty added that he still wants to improve his defense at first base. I think he’ll end up getting traded.
- Eric Duncan (1B, NYY) and Chip Cannon (1B, TOR) are both visibly hobbled by injuries. Cannon isn’t going to break Brandon Wood’s AFL home run record. Duncan could be a completely different player if he’s able to get closer to 100% next year – he crushed some balls.
On the lighter side:
- Oakland Athletics prospects Kevin Melillo and Landon Powell both spent time playing for Low-A Vancouver, where they rose to “Oh, Canada” on a regular basis. Along with another Athletic who played in Canada, Melillo and Powell sang the Canadian National Anthem after the Star Spangled Banner. The trio sang an impressive rendition.
- Known as Superfan, Susan Price can be heard loud and clear at Scottsdale games. Price successfully managed some major bands in LA before retiring to Arizona, where she has taken it upon herself to try to help her favorite teams. Her headbanging rasps of encouragement resemble those of a rock star. Here’s a great article that MiLB.com’s Lisa Winston wrote on Superfan.
- Perhaps a color guard all-star in high school, Rally Sally dances about with all kinds of flags to cheer hitters on. She’s another character who everyone knows in Arizona. In Northern California, we have drummer boys, a guy who dresses up like a bunny, and a banjo man – haven’t seen many fanatical females.
- HoHoKam Stadium (Spring Training home of the Cubs) had some huge insects that showed up to watch last Thursday’s night game. A cricket-like flying bug with about a five inch wing span flew next to one woman, scaring her a section away. Her husband stayed put and seemed to enjoy the space.
Adam Foster is already having Arizona Fall League withdrawals. If you want to share your AFL experiences with Adam, you can email him at adamwfoster@gmail.com.