A+: 2010 Myrtle Beach Pelicans Discussion

[sdp]

All generalized discussion regarding the Myrtle Beach Pelicans should go here.

[Dreamscape]

The Pelicans come to Lynchburg for three games after the all-star break June 25-27 so I'm hoping to catch some of that to see some of the stars before they get promoted, if they don't already get promoted. The series in August (Aug 14-16) includes Nate McLouth Bobblehead Night on the 14th. That could be fun.

[Gman]

Just read somewhere that the reason Heyward is showing up on Danville's roster was because he was injured (oblique I think). Apparently it allowed the Braves to bring an OF up to MB without DLing Heyward.

[IkeWagner]

Cody Johnson is now sitting on 18 jacks. Can't wait to see how many he ends up with this year.

[IkeWagner]

test

[Dreamscape]

Anybody know how Jason Heyward is doing with his oblique injury? I'm really hoping to see him play the week after next. Even got free tickets for the Saturday game.

[IkeWagner]

Speaking of him, he's having a really nice year. 934 OPS, a nice improvement on last year's 871. Last year he hit 11 homers in 449 abs, and this year he already has 9 in 137 abs. I don't know how much more difficult MB is than Rome, but I assume the former is at least a bit tougher, and It is very good when a young kid's numbers improve even as he faces better competition. Nice indicator of megaprospecthood.

Power is a little down for Freeman...most insteresting of his stats is that he's been hit by a pitch 12 times in 56 games!!1

[Dreamscape]

Carolina League is a pitching league and Myrtle Beach is especially a pitching park. The Pelicans once had a sub 3.00 ERA for an entire year with arms that never really made a big splash in the majors. Believe Jung Bong may have been part of that.

[Andy G.]

Heyward's back. He went 0-3 a couple days ago in his first game back, then went 2-5 last night. I'm hoping he moves up to AA pretty soon(after Dreamscape gets to see him play, of course).

[IkeWagner]

Cody Johnson now has 20 homers (!) and is on pace to eclipse his walk total from last year by about 20. His OPS sits at 960.

[Dreamscape]

He will be one I'll get a chance to see. Hopefully, with the All-Star Break ending Thursday, the Pelicans' staff will be moved around to give the highest prospects the chance to go in the upcoming series. Not sure about the pitching probables, but Edgar Osuna, Jose Ortegano, and Cole Rohrbough would be great to see. Not much else on this team that looks like "must-see" potential beyond Heyward, Freeman, and Johnson offensively.

[Andy G.]

What's the deal with Rohrbough Dream? How worried are you about his performance so far this year? There might be something I don't know about, like a nagging injury or something that is causing some of his struggles. I'm interested to know what you think about it.

Also, what about Johnson? I've kept myself from getting too high on him because of the strikeouts. I'm not one that think that strikeouts are all that important for a hitter if he's producing despite them, but in the minor leagues they must have more importance. If he's striking out that much against A+ pitchers, does that mean he could fall apart when he eventually gets to the major leagues or even AAA?

[Dreamscape]

He has missed some time due to injury. I am pretty worried because he was, with Hanson, my two future studs for the Braves rotation a few years ago. That said, it's only his third professional year and to be struggling at high-A ball isn't that unheard of in your third year. But he does need to start turning it around and health is looking like a big issue for him.

Cody Johnson's sorta making a believer of me. I like that he's 20 years-old, I do like the strikeouts. Rarely can batters be successful when striking out over 30% of the time. That said, the walk rate's improvement has been tremendous in making me believe he can be quite a power threat in the bigs, but if his K rate doesn't improve, I'd trade him to a team with a small park thinking they can get cheap power that can produce.

[Dreamscape]

Long evening, but I'm finally home. Pelicans take it 6-0 and here are my observations I wrote down during the game.

-Pitching matchup was Cole Rohrbough and Jeff Locke, the latter facing his former teammates. I really hope Locke pitches on Nate McLouth bobble head night in August.
-Cody Johnson has a strange way of getting ready. He grabs the bat and raises his shoulders like he's tensing up. Seems to be a bit of a superstitious player.
-Carlos Lee, who is nothing like the big Carlos Lee, is also not actually Carlos Lee. If you read stats and see the name, think C.J. Lee instead.
-Rohrbough effectively wild early on and struck out the side in the first.
-Meanwhile, Pelicans very aggressive early against Locke. In the first two innings, there were four one-pitch at-bats with the Pelicans going 3 for 4 in those at-bats.
-Lee saw 8 pitches to lead off the third before singling. Locke threw eight pitches in each of the first two innings.
-A pair of runs in the third. After Lee's single, 2B Cole Miles bunted him to second. Freddie Freeman followed with a double and after Heyward grounded out, Donell Linares rocketed a double to the gap to bring in Freeman. Earlier in the game, Freeman had been thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double.
-Rohrbough has a plus fastball. Hillcats rarely could square up on it and there were a lot of weak and awful swings, especially by 2B Jose De Los Santos.
-Rohrbough's ongoing problem was with strikes. Guy Hanson came out in the fourth to try to get him settled and a brilliant play with Miles ranging over to the SS side to get a grounder, turn, and fire to Freeman helped out huge because it would have been first-and-second with nobody out had he not thrown out the Hillcats 1B Hague. Rohrbough with a no-hitter through four.
-Heyward nearly went deep in the fifth.
-Funny music choices. RF Eddie Prasch comes to the plate to "Give It Away" by Red Hot Chili Peppers.
-Rohrbough was still bringing heat into the fifth despite his pitch count being very high through four (72 to be exact). No-hitter lasts two outs into the fifth, but the umpires blew it. Only a two men crew, but none of them saw what everyone in the stadium did. Joel Collins, LYN's catcher, sends a blooper to center. Lee comes running in and makes a diving catch. The Hillcats start toward the dugout and the Pelicans do the same before the home plate umpire (?) makes the call. Base hit and says Lee trapped it. Weak.
-Dollar beer night can be rough.
-Johnson smashes a double off the wall to open the sixth. Jon Mark Owings follows a batter later with a triple. Idiot Wheeler pulls a Bobby Cox and with the sub-.200 hitting Robert Marcial stepping in, calls a suicide squeeze. They pitch out and Owings is dead meat. 3-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
-Rohrbough gets two outs in the sixth, but is removed after his second walk of the inning and fifth of the day. Thomas Palica threw one pitch and got a flyout to end the "rally." I have Rohrbough at 101 pitches...52 balls, 51 strikes. Five walks and five strikeouts. A wild pitch and a hit batter as well.
-Also in the sixth, the leadoff hitter hit one toward right and Heyward made a diving catch. He seemed to favor his knee after hitting the ground, but stayed in, stretching it out in right. The Lynchburg announcer kept saying Owings was in right for some reason.
-In the 8th, Heyward absolutely crushes the first pitch of the inning to right. Locke had just been pulled after seven so-so innings (he allowed ten hits, but showed good control). It was a majestic shot. In the ninth, Pelicans open the lead to 6-0 with a string of two out runners. Freeman doubles again and Heyward walks. Linares follows with a two-run double to make it 6-0.
-Craig Kimball looked unhittable in the ninth. Short guy. The fans were getting on him for bringing the head up by six runs. One fan said "What are you, 5'7" and 3/4's?" Another said "Bobby Cox thinks you throw like a girl." My response? "That's probably a compliment since he loves Jeff Bennett so much."
-Have I mentioned it was dollar beer night?

All told, great game. I took lots of pics and plan to get them up eventually. Tomorrow, the game is an hour earlier with fireworks afterwords. Oh, and the trivia question of the night? "Who was the last player whose uniform the Atlanta Braves retired?" Should be easy for all of us.

[wordslayer©]

"Who was the last player whose uniform the Atlanta Braves retired?" Should be easy for all of us.

You almost got me on this one.

It's a trick question. No one from the braves is ever retired.

Good stuff, though. Makes me just wish that we had Heyward and Freeman already here.

[IkeWagner]

It's a trick question. No one from the braves is ever retired.

LOL

Great stuff Dream.

[Dreamscape]

Game Two Observations...

Pitching matchup wasn't quite as interesting this time. Jacob Thompson faced Bryan Morris. The former was making his fourth start since being promoted. Just last year, he was joining the organization after being drafted from UVA. He graduated from a high school about two hours away and definitely had family and friends in attendance.

Like yesterday, the Pelicans were very aggressive to start off the game. Seven pitches in the first and ten in the second and Morris had set the first six down in order. Thompson K'd the first two batters he faced and retired the first four before back-to-back walks. He settled to get out of it. About this time, the trivia question was announced: "Who was the last Atlanta Brave to win 20 games?" Unlike yesterday, this time I put my answer in the raffle. I now have a gift certificate for a local resturant.

Heyward impresses me defensively. He showed great range, just missing a foul ball and later dived for the first out of the 8th. He also never gets called off by C.J. Lee in center. At the plate, I didn't notice if they did this yesterday, but they play a defensive shift against Heyward. He looks like a LH heavy pull hitter and the SS was on the right side of second base when he hit in the first.

In the third, the Pelicans went to work. After a walk and a fielder's choice, a wild pitch put a runner in scoring position. Lee brought home Carl Lundahl with a single, but was caught stealing. Not to be deterred, Cole Miles singled and scored on a Freddie Freeman double. Freeman also made a nice play to open the bottom of the third, circling a grounder and making a flawless feed to Thompson.

Thompson continued to breeze. He didn't allow a hit until the fourth. By that time, it was 4-0. In the top of the fourth, Donell Linares singled. After Cody Johnson K'd, catcher Benji Johnson doubled to put runners on second-and-third with one out. Jon Mark Owings, who like Linares is having a good series so far, singled past a drawn-in infield (I was surprised by that decision) to bring both runners home.

Remember Jamie Romak? Part of the LaRoche trade? After hitting .175 at Altoona, he was demoted and played in his first game. Comes to the plate to something that sounds like Dropkick Murphys. However, I was a bit angry with him in the fourth. With a 1-2 count, he called time. The umpire gave him the call after Thompson had started his wind-up. Thompson ended up trying to stop himself and threw the ball into the ground. He was immediately looked at by the trainer, but seemed okay. The next pitch? Struck out Romak swinging. Also shaken up was Cole Miles, who got slid into hard in the fifth. But he also stayed in.

In the top of the fifth, the Pelicans opened up a big lead. Afrer Miles grounded out, Freeman and Heyward both walked. A flyout brought up Cody Johnson, who hit a grounder to second that simply went through Jose De Los Santos's legs. That error brought in Freeman and Benji Johnson followed with his second double, scoring two. That chased Morris.

Thompson pitched seven shutout innings, striking out 8 and showing very good sinking movement. I came away very impressed with him and I was sitting near his cheering secton and they much to be happy with. Jaye Chapman replaced him for his first outing since his promotion from Rome and the boy looked pretty good, striking out a pair. Meanwhile, the Pelicans put it away in the fourth. Owings singled and with two outs, Lee walked. Miles followed with a two-run triple and after Freeman was hit by a pitch, Heyward brought both runners home with a double. It was 11-0 after eight and heading into the ninth, the Hillcats had not scored in the second half (granted, this series is the first series of the second half). However, the dangerous Eric Barrett got the call. Dangerous because he seems to have no idea where the hell the ball is headed. After he got a strikeout of the first batter looking, he hit the next two. Another strikeout brought up the left fielder, Jared Keel. Fullcount, he singled in a run to get a huge cheer from the Lynchburg faithful. They picked a good night to get blasted since everyone was staying for fireworks anyway. After another walk loaded them up, Chase d'Arnaud sent the ball for a ride that Heyward finally got a few feet from the wall, slamming his glove in victory against the wall.

Final score...11-1.

Fireworks show was pretty good for a seven dollar ticket. Great baseball, Heyward is an absolute beast, fireworks were solid. Not too bad of a night.

[sdp]

Nice recap, Dream. It's always nice to get some direct information and insight from the farm.

[Dreamscape]

Well, you will take 2 of 3 on the road anytime, but the Pelicans could have swept this one if the bullpen didn't let it get away from them. Then again, that shows they are capable of being in Bobby Cox's bullpen.

Pitching matchup was Erik Cordier vs. Justin Wilson. I was happy to see Cordier and the only pitcher I wanted to see and didn't was Jose Oretango. After the Pelicans loaded them in the first and failed to score, Cordier took the mound. He K'd the first batter swinging and got ahead of many of the early Hillcats he faced. He did give up an early double in the first and in the second, led off the inning with a walk. A wild pitch got him to second and Jamie Romak singled the run home. Cordier got out of it.

Pelicans got that run back and took the lead in the second. Michael Fisher and Freddie Freeman both walked. After Heyward was caught looking, Donnel Linares singled in Fisher. The LF bobbled the ball and both runners advanced. Cody Johnson followed with a long flyball to left that the LF slid for, but didn't catch. The runners were going to tag had he caught it and Linares only got to third. After a K, Jon Mark Owings was hit by a pitch. That ended Wilson's night, but that brought in Michael Colla. He would shut down the Pelicans over 3.1 hitless innings.

Meanwhile, the Cats tied it in the third with a singled, a sacrifice, and a two-out RBI single. Stayed 2-2 for awhile. In the sixth, Cordier again got in trouble. A double and a hit batter prompted the Cats to bunt. That took the bat out of Romak's hands (which I thought was dumb). Cordier buckled down to get a K and a flyout to short to end the sixth. That looked to be huge as in the seventh, Fisher singled and after a walk by Freeman, Heyward singled in the go-ahead runner. However, the Pelicans blew a chance to add to the lead.

Michael Broadway took over and go the first two batters, but walked Jose De Los Santos. Never walk the guy who is considered the fastest Pirate in the system. A stolen based came before a 2-0 single to tie it up. Another stolen base and another single made it 4-3. Bernino Pruneda made the hill even tougher to climb with a bad eighth that included two two-out RBIs by the leadoff hitter on a triple. Final score, 6-3

Trivia question..."Who was the batter who delievered the winning hit in the 1992 NLCS?" I didn't get another gift certificate. Darn.

Oh, and the fans had a good time with Cole Miles. He was sharing first base coaching duties with Robert Marcial. Earlier in the game and especially in the ninth, he stood out of the coaches' box. Fans heckled for him to get into the box and he would tease it. One time, looking at his foot as he put it right on the line with the fans yelling "Warmer!" He had a goofy smile on his face about it.

All told, not a bad series. Jason Heyward and Freeman were especially impressive, though I came away impressed with Jacob Thompson, Donnel Linares (though he seems very slow), and even struggling Cole Rohrbough had his good stuff. Cordier also looked damn good.

I'm convinced the Braves can trade Cody Johnson and sleep at night, though. He has a very long swing and I don't think he will ever hit for enough average or get on-base enough to be a plus hitter at the bigs. His power will interest someone and the Braves should be open to dealing him if the right package comes along.

[Middle Man]

Thanks for the updates, Dream. It's almost like being there for someone going through minor league baseball withdrawal. We'll be catching a Pelicans-Lynchburg game down in Myrtle Beach in early August, so that ought to be fun. It looks like Hudson will be rehabbing in MB around that time, so maybe we can time it for one of his games.

[hoosjon]

Okay, I know I should look these up, but are my trivia answers:

1- Dale Murphy
2- Tom Glavine (I figure he's won a lot of them and Mad Dog only got like one, right?)
3- Francisco Cabrera hit Sid home

How'd I do? Do I get an Olive Garden Gift Certificate? Actually they seem to LOVE KFC at Calvin Falwell Field.

Thanks for the recaps, Dream! Loved hearin' about my fellow UVA Alum JT.

[Dreamscape]

#2 is wrong...and that's my gift certificate. It's to a resturant near the Mall called Charley's. Not to be confused with O'Charley's. Haven't been there in years, but if I remember correctly, they have some good seafood.

Oh, the answer is Russ Ortiz.

[hoosjon]

Wouldn't have gotten that if ya gave me 10 guesses.

O'Charley's has GREAT homemade potato chips with cheese and stuff on them. Not that you're "focussing" on there.

Enjoy dinner! Again, thanks for the updates. Good to hear about the successes of our future!

[Hillbilly]

Cody Johnson has now broken the Myrtle Beach single-season home run record (24). He also owns the Rome single-season record (26) and just missed Danville's record by one (18 - Eric Cambell.)

What is this all worth? He's cut down on his strikeouts and raised his OBP in the past couple of months, but his home runs, slugging percentage, and batting average have gone down as well.

Which is the better Cody Johnson? The one who hit 17 home runs and struck out 71 times in April/May, or the one who has hit 7 home runs and struck out 41 times in June/July?

[Dreamscape]

From the Baseball Prospectus Minor League Update:

Tim Hudson, RHP, Braves (High-A Myrtle Beach)
Sunday's stats: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Like so many teams in the National League, if you squint your eyes and tilt your head funny, the Braves are kind of in it, so who couldn't use Tim Hudson? Making his way back from last year's Tommy John surgery, Hudson's 2009 debut was a rousing success, as he threw strikes and sat at average velocity while touching 93 mph and, most importantly, reported no discomfort afterwards.

[-Dr. Brave-]

From the Baseball Prospectus Minor League Update:

Tim Hudson, RHP, Braves (High-A Myrtle Beach)
Sunday's stats: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Like so many teams in the National League, if you squint your eyes and tilt your head funny, the Braves are kind of in it, so who couldn't use Tim Hudson? Making his way back from last year's Tommy John surgery, Hudson's 2009 debut was a rousing success, as he threw strikes and sat at average velocity while touching 93 mph and, most importantly, reported no discomfort afterwards.

No kidding, 93? Is 93 the name of his penis?

That's pretty impressive for his first start after surgery. Maybe we can trade Kawakami to the Dodgers or Mariners for a prospect.

[IkeWagner]

Cody Johnson has now matched his homer total (26) from last year, in 136 fewer at-bats. He could end the year with 35+.

[Dreamscape]

Saw another Pelicans game as they finished up their season series against Lynchburg tonight. They won the first two games, but tonight, they ran into Justin Wilson, a 2008 draftee by the Pirates. He dominated the Pelicans over seven innings and Erik Cordier really struggled with his command, especially early. He hit back-to-back players and walked the bases loaded in the first, but was fortunate to escape only allowing a sacrifice fly. Another walk preceded an RBI double in the third. A wild pitch and a groundout put the Hillcats up 3-0. They would win by that mark.

Still very unimpressed with Cody Johnson. Granted, it's a very small sample size in four games that I've seen him, but with his huge strike zone and long swing, I can't see him being productive in the major leagues. The Pelicans need him because they are really struggling to find offense with Freeman and Heyward gone. Starting bench types like Cole Miles, Robert Marcial, and Randy Gress won't win too many games. Donell Linaris looks pretty good, though. Probably won't have the power to be a corner infielder (when Freeman was with the Pelicans, he played third but was at first tonight).

But like I said, very quick game. I dished out the extra two dollars to get reserved seats and sat front row on the visitor's side, first base. I'm going to have to do that more often.

Oh, tonight's trivia question..."Besides Nate McLouth, what former Hillcat is currently on the Atlanta Braves' roster?" I got the question, but didn't win another gift certificate.

[Andy G.]

Gonzo?

[Dreamscape]

Indeed.

[Andy G.]

Adam Milligan went 2-4 with a double, two runs scored and two strikeouts in the Pelicans' season opening win last night.

Randall Delgado pitched five innings, surrendering one run on three hits while striking out five.

[Andy G.]

Milligan went 2-4 once again in the second game of the season. This time he hit a homerun. He struck out once but also took a walk. I didn't really jump on the Milligan bandwaggon last year or in the offseason, or maybe I did then changed my mind when I learned more about him. Either way, if keeps this up I might have no choice but to hop on board. He's a BIG dude with a ton of power. I look forward to hearing what kind of impression he leaves on Dreamscape when the Pelicans go up to play the Hillcats later this season. Assuming Dream has the opportunity to attend the games, of course. It would be nice if he climbed through the system over the next year and a half and either provided us with a nice trade chip or made his way onto the ballclub in Atlanta.

Cole Rohrbough did not start the season off well. He pitched three innings and surrendered three runs.

[Dreamscape]

First opportunity I will have to see the Pelicans is next month. They come into town from the 7-9. Sunday's 2:05 start will probably kill any chance of seeing that one, but the other two are hopeful.

[Andy G.]

Randall Delgado had a another good start. Five innings, three hits, no runs, two walks and five strikeouts.

[Andy G.]

Delgado made his third start last night. 6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. He and Teheran are both off to good starts.

Adam Milligan isn't getting as many hits as you'd like to see, but he's taking a lot of walks and showing a ton of power. He's already struck out 15 times in 43 at bats, though. Hopefully that will improve as he gets use to the higher level of competition.

For the season, Milligan is hitting .233 with 2 2B and 4 HR. He's got a .327 OBP, .558 SLG and an .855 OPS.

[Andy G.]

Delgado made his third start last night. 6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. He and Teheran are both off to good starts.

Adam Milligan isn't getting as many hits as you'd like to see, but he's taking a lot of walks and showing a ton of power. He's already struck out 15 times in 43 at bats, though. Hopefully that will improve as he gets use to the higher level of competition.

For the season, Milligan is hitting .233 with 2 2B and 4 HR. He's got a .327 OBP, .558 SLG and an .855 OPS.

[Dreamscape]

Just a terribly played baseball game between the Pelicans and my hometown Hillcats last night. J.J. Hoover was bad. He had runners on all game, but seemed to escape everytime after the Hillcats left him off the hook. Lasted until the fifth before getting removed. Gerardo Rodriguez, a 1B, has some pretty impressive pop. He homered twice and one was an absolute no-doubter. Second straight game the Hillcats have given up a two-homerun game to a hitter. The ninth, though, was embarrassing and a microcosm of how awful the Pelicans are. Neftali Soto (remember the name) singled off Jaye Chapman. A wild pitch got him to second, where a pinch runner was called upon. Another wild pitch, though it was more of a passed ball of Jesus Sucre, got the runner to third. And then, the two-out strikeout got away from Sucre, allowing the runner to reach first and give the Hillcats the rare Walkoff Strikeout.

Myrtle Beach is pretty bad, though. They have two hitters with OPS's over .725 (Rodriguez and fellow 1B Gerardo Avila). Adam Milligan was hurt, I assume. He never warmed up and only came on the field, flanked by the trainer.

Ugh.

[Hillbilly]

Julio Teheran has been promoted to Myrtle Beach.

[warefreak]

The minor leagues are abuzz with Randall Delgado and Julio Tehearan being in the same rotation.

I just got done reading that the Braves are going to have a VERY potent staff with Julio, Randall, Minor, and Arodys in the rotation in a couple years.

I wonder what they are thinking is going to happen to Tommy Hanson, Tim Hudson, and Jurrjens. At the very least we'll have Tommy to lead those 4.

[Dreamscape]

Well...just because all four prospects look potentially good doesn't mean they will make a splash at the major league level or won't be traded beforehand.

[Andy G.]

Teheran made his first start with Myrtle Beach last night. This kid is a BEAST.

7 IP, 4 H, 1 HR, 1 ER, 2 BB, 12 SO

[warefreak]

Baseball America is talking like he's the best pitcher in the minors. The only pitcher I've seen mentioned above him is Montgomery.

[Gman]

The minor leagues are abuzz with Randall Delgado and Julio Tehearan being in the same rotation.



Maybe we should all chip in so the Pelicans can put more meat on the buffet table for these two. Delgado 6'3" 165 lbs, Teheran 6'2" 150 lbs. That's about what a pencil drawn stickman would weigh at that height.

[Dreamscape]

Maybe we should all chip in so the Pelicans can put more meat on the buffet table for these two. Delgado 6'3" 165 lbs, Teheran 6'2" 150 lbs. That's about what a pencil drawn stickman would weigh at that height.
I believe that typically, though I could be wrong, those heights and weights aren't changed after their signing until they get to the majors. I have not seen either two pitch, but I doubt those weights are still accurate at this stage in their career and maturity.

[Hillbilly]

Delgado put up another strong performance last night but took the 1-0 loss.

7IP 5H 1R 0BB 12K

[Dreamscape]

It's a shame the Pelicans lack, well, any hitting. Two people with an OPS over .700 and one of them has been suspended. This is just an ugly offense that will give Delgado and Teheran some awful win-loss records.

[Devil Wears Prado]

Julio Teheran was promoted to High-A, as most of you have probably heard by now. The kid's making noise down there. Looks to be at least two years away, but the kid is looking to be a stud in the minors!

[warefreak]

Julio Teheran was promoted to High-A, as most of you have probably heard by now. The kid's making noise down there. Looks to be at least two years away, but the kid is looking to be a stud in the minors!

Julio was the prospect pitcher of the day yesterday when he pitched 8 SHO innings giving up just 6 hits and striking out...

14!

Yes. He's making some noise!

[Andy G.]

This dude is every bit the stud he was made out to be when the Braves signed him. I'm struggling to keep myself from getting too excited about him. I don't want to assume that he'll pan out and reach his full potential, but when you get promoted to Myrtle Beach at nineteen-years old and throw 21 innings with 14 hits, 4 walks, 1 run and 28 strikeouts in your first three starts, you're a special talent.

He had only thrown 96 innings in proffessional baseball entering 2010. This year he's thrown 60.1 with 37 hits, 13 walks, 73 strikeouts and he's only allowed 6 earned runs. He's got a 0.90 ERA on the season, and a 0.85 WHIP. In Myrtle Beach, his ERA is 0.43. How exciting is that?!

[jlcct]

He's the next Ubaldo.

[warefreak]

Julio Teheran, on the other hand, does have number one starter potential. The Braves (http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/ATL) prospect got off to a blistering start at Low-A Rome, with a 1.14 ERA and a 45/10 K/BB in 39 innings, 23 hits. He moved up to High-A Myrtle Beach a couple of weeks ago and continues to blow people away, 2-0, 0.43 with a 28/4 K/BB in his first three starts, covering 21 innings with just 14 hits allowed. Combined, he's 4-2, 0.90 with a 73/14 K/BB in 60 innings, 37 hits. Scouts who have seen him are effusive with praise, pointing out greatly improved command this year of his 93-96 MPH fastball and rapidly sharpening curve and changeup.

[Hillbilly]

Last year's 4th round pick, infielder Mycal Jones, has been promoted to Myrtle Beach. After a terrible April, Jones has been on fire throughout May and June.

But the biggest news is Arodys Vizcaino's promotion to the Pelicans. The Myrtle Beach Rotation now consists of Teheran, Vizcaino, Randall Delgado, and JJ Hoover.

Hoover has found a groove and put up 6 consecutive strong performances after getting blasted a couple of times in early May.

[warefreak]

Last year's 4th round pick, infielder Mycal Jones, has been promoted to Myrtle Beach. After a terrible April, Jones has been on fire throughout May and June.

But the biggest news is Arodys Vizcaino's promotion to the Pelicans. The Myrtle Beach Rotation now consists of Teheran, Vizcaino, Randall Delgado, and JJ Hoover.

Hoover has found a groove and put up 6 consecutive strong performances after getting blasted a couple of times in early May.

I didn't know he was promoted! Awesome. The Pelicans should be winning pretty much every night now.

[warefreak]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/meet-the-most-talented-rotation-in-the-minors/

[warefreak]

Tehearan topped Baseball America's player of the week. http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-hot-sheet/2010/2610207.html

Also, on the fangraph page it's interesting to me that all four of those pitchers have the exact same pitches. Good fastball, changeup, and curveball. Not a single one has a slider, sinker, etc.

I don't know if that's a good thing or bad.

[Devil Wears Prado]

Tehearan topped Baseball America's player of the week. http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-hot-sheet/2010/2610207.html

Also, on the fangraph page it's interesting to me that all four of those pitchers have the exact same pitches. Good fastball, changeup, and curveball. Not a single one has a slider, sinker, etc.

I don't know if that's a good thing or bad.

Maybe it's just the organization. I know the Yankees' organization teaches their minor league pitchers curveballs.

[Gman]

Tehearan topped Baseball America's player of the week. http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-hot-sheet/2010/2610207.html

Also, on the fangraph page it's interesting to me that all four of those pitchers have the exact same pitches. Good fastball, changeup, and curveball. Not a single one has a slider, sinker, etc.

I don't know if that's a good thing or bad.

Interesting tidbit warefreak. I'm not crazy about changeup/curveball combo's myself but there are some pitchers who do great with that as their offspeed combo. I don't like the curve ball for a few reasons.

1. It's a tough pitch to control given the size of the break
2. Umpires still stink at calling it properly (even though they have gotten marginally better at it in recent years with the reemergence of the curve in more repetoires.)
3. To be effective it needs to be thrown on the same plane as your fastball which means throwing a lot of high fastballs.

It's a tough pitch to hit so it's a great swing and miss pitch and you get a lot of called third strikes and sick looking swings with it. But as I noted it's got some disadvantages as well. Hopefully, it'll be their 3rd pitch tossed up there less than 10% of the time just to get it into a hitters head.

[Dreamscape]

With the Pelicans coming into town, I plan on being a fixture at the local park the next three days. J.J. Hoover goes today and I believe Tehearan will match up in the second game with Crim going in the third one. Sadly, Delgado and Vizcaino started the last two days so I won't see them.

[Lauren T.]

Ha ha, funny tweet from Myke Jones just now...

MykeJones21 (http://twitter.com/MykeJones21)
man the hell wit a 2-week notice, im puttin in my 2-hour notice right now...i quit baseball due to it being 273 degrees in virginia lol

[Dreamscape]

Ha ha, funny tweet from Myke Jones just now...
Poor guy. Wait till August.

[Dreamscape]

Pelicans took the opener 11-8 of a game that was not played very well by either side. I've seen J.J. Hoover twice this season and have come away very unimpressed both times. Weird thing in the third when L.V. Ware tried to steal home on a delayed steal. He was deadmeat and tried to run over the catcher. That didn't work and it was a pretty dumb way to waste a runner on third. Tyrelle Harris pitched pretty badly and nearly took off Cody Puckett's head in the 8th. Puckett, a pretty good second baseman with pop, took the pitch right off the helmet. The helmet flew off, but Puckett didn't seem fazed.

The Jones boys all helped out. I finally remember who Michael Jones is...he was in Salem last year with the Red Sox organization. Big dude. Mycal Jones seems pretty smooth at short and I look forward to seeing more out of him. Travis Jones walked three times and really made the Hillcats' pitchers work. Luis Sumoza, picked up in the Mark Kotsay deal a few years ago, drove in three and put down a great bunt.

Tonight is Julio Tehearan and I expect to see a lot of scouts in attendance. I am happy I finally know how to pronounce his name, though. TARE-onn.

[Dreamscape]

Julio Teheran was destroyed last night. After struggling to get through the fifth, Teheran committed and error and eventually gave up a Grand Slam in the sixth. He left down 9-5, though the Pelicans came back a little to nearly tie it.

My impressions on Teheran was that he simply didn't have his stuff at all. He couldn't keep the ball down and didn't control his changeup well. He was throwing plenty of strikes, but was missing his spots. He fields his position pretty well and you are almost surprised by how lanky he is. While he did committ an error, he's very quick and puts himself in position after his follow-through to make plays, which he did a couple of times. The fact that game was delayed about 40 minutes because of the threat of rain may have messed up his rituals, too. It was an awful outing for him, though.

Other impressions...Dan Nelson is pretty fun to watch at third. Picked up from the Nationals organization, he seems to be a national leader out there. Mycal Jones was once again pretty impressive at shortstop. You have to wonder how long Cole Miles will be around. And I think he's only 5'8" in heels.

[Lauren T.]

Mycal Jones was once again pretty impressive at shortstop.
He's so fun to follow on Twitter -- he seems to be loving every day in pro ball. If you have an account you can request to follow him at http://twitter.com/MykeJones21 (his profile is set to private).

[Dreamscape]

Teheran was included on Baseball Prospectus's top eleven still in the minors list. He came in at third behind the Phillies' Dominic Brown and the Angels' Mike Trout.

[warefreak]

Tehearan had a rough year last year too where he would show some absolute dominate stuff followed by a rough outing. This year he has been more consistent so I'm not worried about the last start but he is still VERY young for a pitcher. I think we need to make sure and take it easy on him.

[Dreamscape]

Saw the Pelicans beat the Lynchburg Hillcats last night, though we didn't stay for the entire game. J.J. Hoover, who I seem to see everytime the Pelicans come into town, was on the mound and had his A-game going. K'd 8 over six frames and outside of an inning where he gave up a pair of hits with one out to put runners on the corners, was cruising through those six innings. When he was in that one little troublesome inning, he got a big second out on a strikeout looking, or as the guys behind me called it, a "lookout."

Braeden Schlehuber got hurt in the first inning. The catcher went after a popup behind home plate, slid into the backstop and seemed to connect with some exposed cement. He was down for a few minutes, before getting to his feet to a big hand from the opposing squad's fans. He got through the first, but was limping very badly and left the game for a pinch hitter. As he headed toward the clubhouse with a trainer, he received another big hand (I started that one...it's cool to "start" a round of applause). Hopefully, it's not too serious.

Cody Johnson had a big game. He singled and stole a base on what almost looked like a busted hit-and-run with Sumoza at the plate. Johnson wasn't busting it to second, though maybe he was and he's that slow. He would hit a three-run job later. Cory Harrilchak added a homer, too. That one was boomed. Right fielder barely moved after Cory destroyed it. Mycal Jones had a quiet night after looking very good when I last saw the Pelicans.

All in all, a good night. Free tickets and 50 cent hot dogs. Can't beat it.