Last night, Brian Blasik made his first error of the season. In fact he made two. They were the first errors made by any G-Stros second baseman this season. My eyes had told me it was a solid defense and we needed an upgrade from last years defense that featured a team record 30 errors by one third baseman.
Let's look at how much of a defensive upgrade 2012 is from 2011.
Quite a drop from almost two errors a game to less than one. That stat makes the pitching staff happy. Note that the only area currently higher is shortstop. That number is skewed by Jean Batista's four errors in four games played at shortstop. Jimmy Howick has made five errors in 24 games.
Before you get too down on Batista, he has made only one error at first in 15 games and none at second in seven games. First base is a new position for him. Last year he played a few games at third but he hasn't ventured over there this year. I would like to see him there and wouldn't be surprised eventually to see him play some outfield. I am beginning to wonder if Batista might wind up being a super utility kind of player in the mold of Omar Infante. Good bat but not defensively great at any position.
One other indication of the growth is in one repeating player. Ariel Ovando committed seven errors last season and a .904 fielding percentage. This season he has made just one error and has a .967 fielding percentage.
Showing posts with label Blasik. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blasik. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Double Delight!
Last night, the G-Stros rapped out a team record eight doubles in their 13-8 win against Pulaski. The previous record was six doubles in a game and it had happened five times. After that outburst, Greeneville is tied with Danville for the lead in doubles with 56; despite playing one less game than the D-Braves.
The eight doubles were hit by five batters:
Brian Blasik - giving him nine on the year (2nd in the league)
Terrell Joyce -hit two doubles giving him eight on the season (Tied for 3rd in league)
Ariel Ovando - bringing his total to eight as well (T-3rd)
Ernesto Genoves - had two to also reach eight (T-3rd)
Jean Batista - added two to bring his total to seven (Tied for 11th in the league)
The record for most doubles in a season by a Greeneville Astro is 20. That record is held by two former G-Stros: Jose Altuve & Ronald Ramirez. With 41 games to go, it appears that record may fall this year.
As a team, the G-Stros are on pace for 141 doubles. That would shatter the previous record of 119.
Other Notes:
Jean Batista added a home run to his two doubles and is on an extra base hit tear. In the last three games, he is 6 for 12 with three doubles and a two HR. He has surpassed his HR total from last season (3) and is quickly catching his extra base total of 16. He currently has seven doubles, two triples and four home runs.
D'Andre Toney is quietly having a very good July. For the month, he is hitting .328 and is getting on base at a .400 clip through 15 games. When you add the pop of four doubles and two homers this month. That is a very impressive line.
Every G-Stro had a hit last night and all but one had a RBI.
The eight doubles were hit by five batters:
Brian Blasik - giving him nine on the year (2nd in the league)
Terrell Joyce -hit two doubles giving him eight on the season (Tied for 3rd in league)
Ariel Ovando - bringing his total to eight as well (T-3rd)
Ernesto Genoves - had two to also reach eight (T-3rd)
Jean Batista - added two to bring his total to seven (Tied for 11th in the league)
The record for most doubles in a season by a Greeneville Astro is 20. That record is held by two former G-Stros: Jose Altuve & Ronald Ramirez. With 41 games to go, it appears that record may fall this year.
As a team, the G-Stros are on pace for 141 doubles. That would shatter the previous record of 119.
Other Notes:
Jean Batista added a home run to his two doubles and is on an extra base hit tear. In the last three games, he is 6 for 12 with three doubles and a two HR. He has surpassed his HR total from last season (3) and is quickly catching his extra base total of 16. He currently has seven doubles, two triples and four home runs.
D'Andre Toney is quietly having a very good July. For the month, he is hitting .328 and is getting on base at a .400 clip through 15 games. When you add the pop of four doubles and two homers this month. That is a very impressive line.
Every G-Stro had a hit last night and all but one had a RBI.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Eye Witness Report: July 13 Greeneville 3 Elizabethton 2
The game on Friday the 13th was unique. The game lasted 2 hours and 52 minutes and there was a 2 hour and 51 minute rain delay in the middle of the 4th inning. The post game fireworks were moved to mid game fireworks, to kill time while the field was being readied for play to resume. It was neat to watch the players who were warming up, stop and watch the fireworks. Just a reminder of how they are still kids in many ways. On to the game action:
On the mound:
Francis Ramirez had a solid start going when the rains came. I was able to talk to another teams scout during the rain delay and I asked him what Ramirez was throwing. He said " 90-93 fastball and is locating it well. Curve ball doesn't have much bite though."
Strikeouts were plentiful as G-Stro pitchers struck out a total of 15 E-Twins while walking five. The E-Twin batters lead the league with 4.6 walks again so it was a pretty average game for them. However, they average only 7.6 Ks per game so Greeneville pitchers did a nice job.
Two guys from the pen really impressed me Friday night. Jordan Jankowski came in with bases loaded and two outs in the fifth and fanned Travis Harrison who has only 13 strike outs in 85 at bats this season and is hitting .341 on the season. He also had a 1,2,3 sixth. He allowed a run in the seventh before being pulled from the game.
Euris Quezada got the win with three innings of work. He allowed just one base runner on a walk and struck out five batters. Remember - the team batting average for Elizabethton is .297. This is the best offense in the league.
At the plate:
Greeneville did just enough to win this one at the plate. They also had the strike out bug; fanning 14 times. Only Angel Ibanez didn't strike out but he found other unique ways to make outs. He was picked off of first twice and was called out for batter interference in the 10th. One of the pick offs was with runners at 1st and 3rd and one out in the inning. I bet I know what he will be working on.
D'Andre Toney was effective in the lead off spot getting on base three times, with a hit and two walks. He laid down a sac bunt as well that lead to James Howick scoring after the catcher threw the ball into left trying get the runner at third.
Brian Blasik came through with a big hit again after starting the night 0-4 with three strike outs, he roped a double near the line in left that scored Toney with the game winning run in the 10th.
In the field:
James Howick had the play of the game at shortstop. In the seventh inning, with score tied at two and runners at first and third, he made a diving stop on a hard hit grounder and started a 6-4-3 double play.
Summary
Big win for Greeneville. They took two out of three for the best team in the league despite being out scored in the series 18-11. They cut the lead of the E-twins down to 1 1/2 games as a result of the extra inning win.
Combined with the Sunday sweep of a double header with the Bristol Sox, the G-Stros are only 1 game back of the E-Twins for the division lead and are three games up on the Johnson City Cardinals for the wild card spot.
On the mound:
Francis Ramirez had a solid start going when the rains came. I was able to talk to another teams scout during the rain delay and I asked him what Ramirez was throwing. He said " 90-93 fastball and is locating it well. Curve ball doesn't have much bite though."
Strikeouts were plentiful as G-Stro pitchers struck out a total of 15 E-Twins while walking five. The E-Twin batters lead the league with 4.6 walks again so it was a pretty average game for them. However, they average only 7.6 Ks per game so Greeneville pitchers did a nice job.
Two guys from the pen really impressed me Friday night. Jordan Jankowski came in with bases loaded and two outs in the fifth and fanned Travis Harrison who has only 13 strike outs in 85 at bats this season and is hitting .341 on the season. He also had a 1,2,3 sixth. He allowed a run in the seventh before being pulled from the game.
Euris Quezada got the win with three innings of work. He allowed just one base runner on a walk and struck out five batters. Remember - the team batting average for Elizabethton is .297. This is the best offense in the league.
At the plate:
Greeneville did just enough to win this one at the plate. They also had the strike out bug; fanning 14 times. Only Angel Ibanez didn't strike out but he found other unique ways to make outs. He was picked off of first twice and was called out for batter interference in the 10th. One of the pick offs was with runners at 1st and 3rd and one out in the inning. I bet I know what he will be working on.
D'Andre Toney was effective in the lead off spot getting on base three times, with a hit and two walks. He laid down a sac bunt as well that lead to James Howick scoring after the catcher threw the ball into left trying get the runner at third.
Brian Blasik came through with a big hit again after starting the night 0-4 with three strike outs, he roped a double near the line in left that scored Toney with the game winning run in the 10th.
In the field:
James Howick had the play of the game at shortstop. In the seventh inning, with score tied at two and runners at first and third, he made a diving stop on a hard hit grounder and started a 6-4-3 double play.
Summary
Big win for Greeneville. They took two out of three for the best team in the league despite being out scored in the series 18-11. They cut the lead of the E-twins down to 1 1/2 games as a result of the extra inning win.
Combined with the Sunday sweep of a double header with the Bristol Sox, the G-Stros are only 1 game back of the E-Twins for the division lead and are three games up on the Johnson City Cardinals for the wild card spot.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Eye Witness Report: July 11- G-Stros 7 E-Twins 4
It had rained all day in Greeneville and the weather kept the crowd down but the game on the field was worthy of a much larger audience. The crowd that was there huddled up under the awnings to stay away from the heavy drizzle that fell at times early in the game. Let's look at the game:
At the plate:
Every Greeneville hitter contributed at the plate tonight. Only one was without a hit but he contributed a sacrifice fly that scored a run. Here were the top contributors:
Big Hit Brian Blasik - In the first, he battled in an eight pitch at bat to hit a sacrifice fly to plate the first run of the game. In the third, he ripped a ball down the left field line for a bases loaded triple to give Greeneville all the runs they would need. It made the game 5-0 at the time. He would later score on a sacrifice fly by Terrell Joyce. He finished the night going 2-3 with four RBI and a run scored.
Angel Ibanez - Got things started in the third with a lead off single. He later scored on a wild pitch after moving station to station. He finished the night two for four but the two outs were loud. He smoked a line drive to third in the fourth and then hit a ball to deep right field in the ninth that the park barely held.
D'Andre Toney - Was the lead off man tonight and got the game off to a good start with a double in the first and later scored on Blasik's sac fly. He also reached in the third on a dropped third strike. He later scored on the carousel started by Blasik's triple. He tried to bunt his way on in the fifth but he didn't deaden it enough and the ball beat him down the baseline.
There were three at bats that went deep in counts that had good results for Greeneville. Blasik's eight pitch sac fly in the first is one. He finished the night seeing 20 pitches in four plate appearances. Ibanez's single in the sixth was a seven pitch at bat. Toney reached on a called third strike on the seventh pitch of that at bat and only one pitch was a ball - the first pitch!
On the Mound:
Adrian Houser impressed me tonight. He was pitching against a very good team and at times, he struggled. He showed resiliency as he pitched six innings. Let's look at each inning individually:
First: Leadoff hitter reaches on a single that was almost a great play by Blasik at second. The second batter reaches on a fielders choice but the leadoff is erased. After a fly out to center for the second out, the final out is made by Mark Wik in right who ranges a long way to flag down a tailing fly ball. Unofficially 13 pitches - 10 strikes
Second: First batter walks in a seven pitch at bat. Houser bounces back and fans the next guy on four pitches and gets the subsequent batter to fly out to right on just two pitches. The final batter hit the ball back to Houser on the second pitch of the at bat for a 1-3 put out. Unofficially 15 pitches - 9 strikes.
Third: Two lead off walks followed by a fielder's choice that erased the middle runner. So he has first and third with one out. A flair hit just over the short stop allowed one run to score and leaves runners at first and second with one out. Another ball is hit to left and Wik catches the ball and fires a laser back to the infield to discourage any extra base ideas the E-Twins might have had. Houser bears down at this point and strikes the next batter out. Unofficially 27 pitches - 12 strikes.
Fourth: The lead off man in the inning golfs a high fly ball to the fence in center. It appears Toney had a bead on it but ends up leaping about a foot away from where the ball hits the fence. The result is a lead off triple. This is followed by a RBI single up the middle. That put the Twins up by one at the time. The next batter singles and puts runners at first and second with no outs. During the next at bat, the catcher, Genoves tries to pick a runner off first but Batista is not ready for the throw. It goes into right and the result is second and third with no outs. It looks like the wheels are coming off. However, Houser digs deep and strikes out the next two batters. Then after a four pitch walk to load the bases, he fans the last out of the inning. Impressive pitching in a high pressure situation. Unofficial count 25 pitches - 15 for strikes. So after four innings, his pitch count is at 80.
Fifth: Houser throws just 12 pitches in a one two three inning. Eight of the pitches are for strikes and the ball doesn't leave the infield.
Sixth: A seven pitch strike out starts off the final inning of work for Houser. The next batter hits a flair for a single down the right field line. Houser bounces back and strikes out the next batter and then induces a fielder's choice ground ball for the final out.
Houser really impressed me tonight. He pitched ahead in the count all night - 17 of the 25 batters he faced saw a first pitch strike. He mixed his pitches well. When Elizabethton started sitting fastball early in the count, he went to his change and made them look silly several times. Adrian Houser earned that win tonight!
Scott Zuloaga came in to start the seventh and got one strike out sandwiched between a hit and a hit batter. Michael DiMock came in and got a 5-3 double play to end the seventh and pitched a scoreless eighth before struggling in the ninth. Though one of the hits in the ninth was a triple that was added by a bad route. Ovando didn't give enough ground in moving on the ball and the ball was past him before he met where he expected the ball to be.
In the field:
I have already mentioned the solid play by Wik in left and the error by the catcher on the throw to first, however, the first baseman, Jean Batista, has some responsibility in that play. He was not in position to receive the throw and the result was the runners moving up 90 feet.
Batista simply doesn't look comfortable at first yet. The footwork and the glove work are both raw. It appears he tries to backhand everything when he should be scooping with the arm extended.
Summary:
The game was very fun and the team played very well. Everyone contributed with the bats and the pitching stayed around the zone and the defense made plays when they were needed. The E-Twins left 11 men on base compared to Greeneville just leaving four. The win puts Greeneville just 1 1/2 games back of the E-Twins with two more games this week with them.
At the plate:
Every Greeneville hitter contributed at the plate tonight. Only one was without a hit but he contributed a sacrifice fly that scored a run. Here were the top contributors:
Big Hit Brian Blasik - In the first, he battled in an eight pitch at bat to hit a sacrifice fly to plate the first run of the game. In the third, he ripped a ball down the left field line for a bases loaded triple to give Greeneville all the runs they would need. It made the game 5-0 at the time. He would later score on a sacrifice fly by Terrell Joyce. He finished the night going 2-3 with four RBI and a run scored.
Angel Ibanez - Got things started in the third with a lead off single. He later scored on a wild pitch after moving station to station. He finished the night two for four but the two outs were loud. He smoked a line drive to third in the fourth and then hit a ball to deep right field in the ninth that the park barely held.
D'Andre Toney - Was the lead off man tonight and got the game off to a good start with a double in the first and later scored on Blasik's sac fly. He also reached in the third on a dropped third strike. He later scored on the carousel started by Blasik's triple. He tried to bunt his way on in the fifth but he didn't deaden it enough and the ball beat him down the baseline.
There were three at bats that went deep in counts that had good results for Greeneville. Blasik's eight pitch sac fly in the first is one. He finished the night seeing 20 pitches in four plate appearances. Ibanez's single in the sixth was a seven pitch at bat. Toney reached on a called third strike on the seventh pitch of that at bat and only one pitch was a ball - the first pitch!
On the Mound:
Adrian Houser impressed me tonight. He was pitching against a very good team and at times, he struggled. He showed resiliency as he pitched six innings. Let's look at each inning individually:
First: Leadoff hitter reaches on a single that was almost a great play by Blasik at second. The second batter reaches on a fielders choice but the leadoff is erased. After a fly out to center for the second out, the final out is made by Mark Wik in right who ranges a long way to flag down a tailing fly ball. Unofficially 13 pitches - 10 strikes
Second: First batter walks in a seven pitch at bat. Houser bounces back and fans the next guy on four pitches and gets the subsequent batter to fly out to right on just two pitches. The final batter hit the ball back to Houser on the second pitch of the at bat for a 1-3 put out. Unofficially 15 pitches - 9 strikes.
Third: Two lead off walks followed by a fielder's choice that erased the middle runner. So he has first and third with one out. A flair hit just over the short stop allowed one run to score and leaves runners at first and second with one out. Another ball is hit to left and Wik catches the ball and fires a laser back to the infield to discourage any extra base ideas the E-Twins might have had. Houser bears down at this point and strikes the next batter out. Unofficially 27 pitches - 12 strikes.
Fourth: The lead off man in the inning golfs a high fly ball to the fence in center. It appears Toney had a bead on it but ends up leaping about a foot away from where the ball hits the fence. The result is a lead off triple. This is followed by a RBI single up the middle. That put the Twins up by one at the time. The next batter singles and puts runners at first and second with no outs. During the next at bat, the catcher, Genoves tries to pick a runner off first but Batista is not ready for the throw. It goes into right and the result is second and third with no outs. It looks like the wheels are coming off. However, Houser digs deep and strikes out the next two batters. Then after a four pitch walk to load the bases, he fans the last out of the inning. Impressive pitching in a high pressure situation. Unofficial count 25 pitches - 15 for strikes. So after four innings, his pitch count is at 80.
Fifth: Houser throws just 12 pitches in a one two three inning. Eight of the pitches are for strikes and the ball doesn't leave the infield.
Sixth: A seven pitch strike out starts off the final inning of work for Houser. The next batter hits a flair for a single down the right field line. Houser bounces back and strikes out the next batter and then induces a fielder's choice ground ball for the final out.
Houser really impressed me tonight. He pitched ahead in the count all night - 17 of the 25 batters he faced saw a first pitch strike. He mixed his pitches well. When Elizabethton started sitting fastball early in the count, he went to his change and made them look silly several times. Adrian Houser earned that win tonight!
Scott Zuloaga came in to start the seventh and got one strike out sandwiched between a hit and a hit batter. Michael DiMock came in and got a 5-3 double play to end the seventh and pitched a scoreless eighth before struggling in the ninth. Though one of the hits in the ninth was a triple that was added by a bad route. Ovando didn't give enough ground in moving on the ball and the ball was past him before he met where he expected the ball to be.
In the field:
I have already mentioned the solid play by Wik in left and the error by the catcher on the throw to first, however, the first baseman, Jean Batista, has some responsibility in that play. He was not in position to receive the throw and the result was the runners moving up 90 feet.
Batista simply doesn't look comfortable at first yet. The footwork and the glove work are both raw. It appears he tries to backhand everything when he should be scooping with the arm extended.
Summary:
The game was very fun and the team played very well. Everyone contributed with the bats and the pitching stayed around the zone and the defense made plays when they were needed. The E-Twins left 11 men on base compared to Greeneville just leaving four. The win puts Greeneville just 1 1/2 games back of the E-Twins with two more games this week with them.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Eye Witness Report: July 8th Greenevile 2 - Bristol 5
Well, Bristol got their first road win of the season. Greeneville had their chances in this game but couldn't get a timely hit or a timely out. Here are my fan observations from last nights game:
On the mound:
Fredrick Tiburcio was sandwiched some good outs in between a rough start and a bad finish. A lead off single followed a solid triple resulted in a first inning run for the B-Sox. He got out of the man on third no out jam and then completed three straight one, two, three innings. He then blew up in the fifth. A lead off triple, a walk and a single led to one run and then a two out double plated two more. This was his longest outing of the year.
The bullpen did an excellent job. Christian Garcia fanned the side in his inning of work. Scott Zuloaga scattered three fly balls around the outfield in his one inning. Euris Quezada got a bunch of ground balls but they were often hit hard. One took a bad hop and caught Mike Martinez in the throat. It was a scary moment but he stayed in the game. Another handcuffed Jimmy Howick at short for an error that led to an unearned run. Michael Dimock did a nice job in his inning as well.
At the plate:
Ariel Ovando went one for four but also just missed on a missile down the right field line in the ninth that would have been for extra bases. On the down side, later in that at bat, he hit a hard grounder to first that pinballed around the first baseman's feet. Ovando didn't hustle down the line and allowed the late covering pitcher to beat him by several steps.
Brian Blasik impressed me yet again with a bunt single that was perfectly placed in the sixth. I am not sure if it was called or not but it put a runner on base when Greeneville was having trouble creating any momentum. He also got on with a walk.
Josh Magee went one for three, but he hit the ball hard all night.
Terrell Joyce extended his hitting streak to nine games with a one for four night.
In the field:
Joyce made the play of the night with a great diving catch in left. The ball was hit to left and was tailing toward the line. He ran a long way and made a great dive at the ball about a foot off the ground and came up with the catch.
The loss, combined with an E-Twins loses keeps the G-Stros 2 1/2 games back of Elizabethton and 1 1/2 ahead of Johnson City for the wild card spot.
On the mound:
Fredrick Tiburcio was sandwiched some good outs in between a rough start and a bad finish. A lead off single followed a solid triple resulted in a first inning run for the B-Sox. He got out of the man on third no out jam and then completed three straight one, two, three innings. He then blew up in the fifth. A lead off triple, a walk and a single led to one run and then a two out double plated two more. This was his longest outing of the year.
The bullpen did an excellent job. Christian Garcia fanned the side in his inning of work. Scott Zuloaga scattered three fly balls around the outfield in his one inning. Euris Quezada got a bunch of ground balls but they were often hit hard. One took a bad hop and caught Mike Martinez in the throat. It was a scary moment but he stayed in the game. Another handcuffed Jimmy Howick at short for an error that led to an unearned run. Michael Dimock did a nice job in his inning as well.
At the plate:
Ariel Ovando went one for four but also just missed on a missile down the right field line in the ninth that would have been for extra bases. On the down side, later in that at bat, he hit a hard grounder to first that pinballed around the first baseman's feet. Ovando didn't hustle down the line and allowed the late covering pitcher to beat him by several steps.
Brian Blasik impressed me yet again with a bunt single that was perfectly placed in the sixth. I am not sure if it was called or not but it put a runner on base when Greeneville was having trouble creating any momentum. He also got on with a walk.
Josh Magee went one for three, but he hit the ball hard all night.
Terrell Joyce extended his hitting streak to nine games with a one for four night.
In the field:
Joyce made the play of the night with a great diving catch in left. The ball was hit to left and was tailing toward the line. He ran a long way and made a great dive at the ball about a foot off the ground and came up with the catch.
The loss, combined with an E-Twins loses keeps the G-Stros 2 1/2 games back of Elizabethton and 1 1/2 ahead of Johnson City for the wild card spot.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Greeneville Report - The Hitters -June 2012
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. The 2012 edition of the G-Stros have hit the ground running and are certainly making a positive impression with a 9-3 mark to start the season. Here are some of the individual player highlights from June. All stats will be from June but their rank among league leaders will be as of last night's games.
Hitters:
Juan Batista - hit .377 for the month of June with seven of his 20 hits going for extra bases. That provided him with a slugging percentage of .603. He has only struck out five times in 54 at bats, compared to his brief stay in Greeneville last season where he struck out 13 times in 45 at bats.
In the field, Batista has played the most at first, though he is listed as a shortstop. At short, he has struggled making four errors in 19 chances.
Among league leaders, he is tied for seventh in runs scored (11), second in hits (21), tied for ninth in doubles (4), tied for eighth in HR (2), tied for 4th in RBI (12), fourth in total bases (33), and seventh in batting average and slugging.
Ariel Ovando -is getting a second chance to make a better impression. Last year, he appeared like he wasn't giving good effort in the field. This year, that has not been the case. The best evidence of this was in a game early in the year, he made a sliding attempt at a foul ball near the Greeneville bullpen that last season, he probably wouldn't have attempted.
For June, he hit .364 in June with six of his 16 hits for extra bases. Even though he struck out 13 times in 44 at bats, he still produced an OBP of .408. He has yet to make an error in 14 chances in the right field. He has one outfield assist.
Compared to the league leaders, he is also tied for seventh in runs scored (11), leads the league in doubles (7), tied for fourth in RBI (12), and ninth in total bases (27). He has added two more Ks in July tying him for ninth most (15)
Brian Blasik - is fun to watch. He has been good at the plate but more impressive in the field where he has yet to make an error in 50 chances at 2B (8 games) and 3B (1 game). At the plate, he is hit .372 for June with six of his 16 hits going for extra bases. He has been at bat with runners on base in 22 of his 43 at bats. In those situations, he is hitting .591! In 15 at bats with runners in scoring position, he is hitting .600! Any wonder why I call him "Big Hit Brian"? He is very aggressive at the plate but has only struck out one time. He puts the ball in play. His on base percentage is .386 but would rise if he ever took a walk. He has no walks on the year due to his aggressive approach.
Among league leaders, he is tied for second in doubles (5), tied for fourth in RBI (12), tied for 10th in total bases (24) and is fifth in batting average.
Other league leaders:
Ernesto Genoves is ninth on OPS (.970) and tied for second in doubles (5).
Mark Wik is third in OBP (.477) and tied for ninth with eight walks.
D'Andre Toney is tied for fifth in runs scored (12).
Josh Magee is tied for sixth with four stolen bases.
Michael Martinez is tied for eighth in HR (2).
As a team, Greeneville is third in runs scored (94), doubles (32), RBI (81) OBP (.357), and OPS (.760). They are second in hits (149), total bases (209), batting average (.288). They also have the fewest strikeouts in the league (87).
They have been caught stealing (9) more than any other team but they have stolen 14 bases, which places them at fourth in the league.
Hitters:
Juan Batista - hit .377 for the month of June with seven of his 20 hits going for extra bases. That provided him with a slugging percentage of .603. He has only struck out five times in 54 at bats, compared to his brief stay in Greeneville last season where he struck out 13 times in 45 at bats.
In the field, Batista has played the most at first, though he is listed as a shortstop. At short, he has struggled making four errors in 19 chances.
Among league leaders, he is tied for seventh in runs scored (11), second in hits (21), tied for ninth in doubles (4), tied for eighth in HR (2), tied for 4th in RBI (12), fourth in total bases (33), and seventh in batting average and slugging.
Ariel Ovando -is getting a second chance to make a better impression. Last year, he appeared like he wasn't giving good effort in the field. This year, that has not been the case. The best evidence of this was in a game early in the year, he made a sliding attempt at a foul ball near the Greeneville bullpen that last season, he probably wouldn't have attempted.
For June, he hit .364 in June with six of his 16 hits for extra bases. Even though he struck out 13 times in 44 at bats, he still produced an OBP of .408. He has yet to make an error in 14 chances in the right field. He has one outfield assist.
Compared to the league leaders, he is also tied for seventh in runs scored (11), leads the league in doubles (7), tied for fourth in RBI (12), and ninth in total bases (27). He has added two more Ks in July tying him for ninth most (15)
Brian Blasik - is fun to watch. He has been good at the plate but more impressive in the field where he has yet to make an error in 50 chances at 2B (8 games) and 3B (1 game). At the plate, he is hit .372 for June with six of his 16 hits going for extra bases. He has been at bat with runners on base in 22 of his 43 at bats. In those situations, he is hitting .591! In 15 at bats with runners in scoring position, he is hitting .600! Any wonder why I call him "Big Hit Brian"? He is very aggressive at the plate but has only struck out one time. He puts the ball in play. His on base percentage is .386 but would rise if he ever took a walk. He has no walks on the year due to his aggressive approach.
Among league leaders, he is tied for second in doubles (5), tied for fourth in RBI (12), tied for 10th in total bases (24) and is fifth in batting average.
Other league leaders:
Ernesto Genoves is ninth on OPS (.970) and tied for second in doubles (5).
Mark Wik is third in OBP (.477) and tied for ninth with eight walks.
D'Andre Toney is tied for fifth in runs scored (12).
Josh Magee is tied for sixth with four stolen bases.
Michael Martinez is tied for eighth in HR (2).
As a team, Greeneville is third in runs scored (94), doubles (32), RBI (81) OBP (.357), and OPS (.760). They are second in hits (149), total bases (209), batting average (.288). They also have the fewest strikeouts in the league (87).
They have been caught stealing (9) more than any other team but they have stolen 14 bases, which places them at fourth in the league.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Eyewitness Report 6/26/12 Gville 8 Princeton 7
Greeneville Wins Again! I had other duties tonight so I couldn't keep my detailed book but I do want to share a few observations.
Big Game Brian
Brian Blasik is quickly becoming on of my favorite G-Stros this year. He makes the plays in the field he is supposed to make. He makes some he is not supposed to make. He hits the ball hard and is agressive at the plate. Does all this project to the majors? I don't know. I am just a fan not a scout. But I love watching him play.
After the Astros were in a two run hole in the first, hit a line drive that cleared the fence in left field. It just seemed to keep carrying. That HR tied the game.
In the fifth, the P-Rays had pulled with in one run at 4-3. The Astros had greeted a new pitcher with two singles. Blasik ropes a double to left and plates his third RBI of the night. He later scores in the inning.
In the top of the 8th, with the tying run at third, Blasik makes a great layout dive to his left to stop, what appeared of the bat, a sure hit that would have tied the game. He gets up from his belly and makes the throw for the third out of the inning. He had a total of five assist tonight.
In the eighth, he hits a hard ground ball that was through the first baseman's legs before he could react. He moved a runner to third but couldn't push across another run.
Blasik now has a .464 average and has five doubles and a homer. He has multi hit games in five of his first six starts. He has 11 RBI which is tied for the league lead. He is yet to strike out after 28 at bats (he hasn't walked either) . And he always seems to be coming through at the right time. From now on, until he gives us cause to do otherwise, he will be known as Big Game Brian!
Doubles
The Astros added three more doubles to their total tonight. That gives them 20 in the first eight games. That average of 2 1/2 doubles per game would be 170 over the season. That would break the Appy League mark of 167 set by Johnson City last year. Blasik and Ariel Ovando are tied for the league lead with five each and Terrell Joyce is tied for second with four.
Double Ouch
D'Andre Toney get's the boo boo award tonight. His first at bat ended after just one pitch which hit him on the foot. His last at bat in the eighth ended with him getting plunked in what appeared to be the upper arm/back area. Toney reached base in four of his five plate appearances. He singled, walked and had two hit by pitches.
Baserunning Troubles
The Astros are getting on base at a good clip. As a team they have a .303 batting average and a.377 on base percentage. But staying on base is becoming a problem. They are 10 for 16 in stolen bases. And that doesn't include pick offs. The good news is they are willing to try to take the extra base. Hopefully we will see the successful steals increase as the great teacher experience does its work with the players.
Seven Pitchers & No 1,2,3 Innings
None of the pitchers escaped an inning unscathed. Each allowed a base runner in every inning. Francis Ramirez looked better from the wind up than from the stretch. He spent a great deal of time in the stretch since the first two batters of each of his innings reached. The lead off pair of walks in the first scored but the single and walk that lead off the second were stranded.
Christian Garcia pitched better than his line indicates. He only gave up one hard hit ball; a double that tailed away from Toney as he tracked it down in center. Garcia did get the first three batters out in an inning but only after the third batter had reached on a swinging bunt The runner left before the left hander had made his move home and they were able to get a picked off /stolen base to end the inning.
Jordan Jankowski's curve ball was moving well tonight. He fanned five in two innings and gave up one hard luck run on a ball that was slow bouncer that hit off the first baseman's glove. It was probably the second baseman's ball and Batista should have been at the bag. However, it was an effort mistake and also if Batista would have caught it, Jankowski was late on getting to the bag. The double Jankowski gave up was just about six inches from being caught by Ovando in right field.
Zach Dando had a short night of work. He walked a batter and gave up a single and his night was done. In came Scott Zuloaga who allowed one of the inherited runners to score limited the damage nicely. Michael Dimock came in in the eighth and struggled. Blasik's diving stop with a runner moving from second on the play limited the damage to just two runs scored. Michael Hauschild came on to pitch the ninth. Like his predecessors, he didn't have a clean inning but it was effective.
Princeton's Two Out RBI
Princeton scored six of their seven runs with two outs. The fact that there were two runs allowed the base runners to be off with the crack of the bat, thus allowing several runners to score from second easily on singles. It is a good thing they were just five for 18 with runners in scoring position for the night.
Reality Check
I will say what I said yesterday, I am excited about this team. However, this isn't the best start in the history of the G-Stros. The 2010 version got off to a 7-2 start and then lost their next seven games to fall out of contention. There are other teams to contend with that we won't see for a few weeks. Greeneville has a solid +23 run differential, however Elizabethon has an amazing +48 run differential.
There appears to be a very positive vibe about this team and I hope that they keep going about their business and we get to watch some winning baseball. I also hope that when Elizabethon comes to town on July 11th for three games, the games will have a playoff style atmosphere.
Big Game Brian
Brian Blasik is quickly becoming on of my favorite G-Stros this year. He makes the plays in the field he is supposed to make. He makes some he is not supposed to make. He hits the ball hard and is agressive at the plate. Does all this project to the majors? I don't know. I am just a fan not a scout. But I love watching him play.
After the Astros were in a two run hole in the first, hit a line drive that cleared the fence in left field. It just seemed to keep carrying. That HR tied the game.
In the fifth, the P-Rays had pulled with in one run at 4-3. The Astros had greeted a new pitcher with two singles. Blasik ropes a double to left and plates his third RBI of the night. He later scores in the inning.
In the top of the 8th, with the tying run at third, Blasik makes a great layout dive to his left to stop, what appeared of the bat, a sure hit that would have tied the game. He gets up from his belly and makes the throw for the third out of the inning. He had a total of five assist tonight.
In the eighth, he hits a hard ground ball that was through the first baseman's legs before he could react. He moved a runner to third but couldn't push across another run.
Blasik now has a .464 average and has five doubles and a homer. He has multi hit games in five of his first six starts. He has 11 RBI which is tied for the league lead. He is yet to strike out after 28 at bats (he hasn't walked either) . And he always seems to be coming through at the right time. From now on, until he gives us cause to do otherwise, he will be known as Big Game Brian!
Doubles
The Astros added three more doubles to their total tonight. That gives them 20 in the first eight games. That average of 2 1/2 doubles per game would be 170 over the season. That would break the Appy League mark of 167 set by Johnson City last year. Blasik and Ariel Ovando are tied for the league lead with five each and Terrell Joyce is tied for second with four.
Double Ouch
D'Andre Toney get's the boo boo award tonight. His first at bat ended after just one pitch which hit him on the foot. His last at bat in the eighth ended with him getting plunked in what appeared to be the upper arm/back area. Toney reached base in four of his five plate appearances. He singled, walked and had two hit by pitches.
Baserunning Troubles
The Astros are getting on base at a good clip. As a team they have a .303 batting average and a.377 on base percentage. But staying on base is becoming a problem. They are 10 for 16 in stolen bases. And that doesn't include pick offs. The good news is they are willing to try to take the extra base. Hopefully we will see the successful steals increase as the great teacher experience does its work with the players.
Seven Pitchers & No 1,2,3 Innings
None of the pitchers escaped an inning unscathed. Each allowed a base runner in every inning. Francis Ramirez looked better from the wind up than from the stretch. He spent a great deal of time in the stretch since the first two batters of each of his innings reached. The lead off pair of walks in the first scored but the single and walk that lead off the second were stranded.
Christian Garcia pitched better than his line indicates. He only gave up one hard hit ball; a double that tailed away from Toney as he tracked it down in center. Garcia did get the first three batters out in an inning but only after the third batter had reached on a swinging bunt The runner left before the left hander had made his move home and they were able to get a picked off /stolen base to end the inning.
Jordan Jankowski's curve ball was moving well tonight. He fanned five in two innings and gave up one hard luck run on a ball that was slow bouncer that hit off the first baseman's glove. It was probably the second baseman's ball and Batista should have been at the bag. However, it was an effort mistake and also if Batista would have caught it, Jankowski was late on getting to the bag. The double Jankowski gave up was just about six inches from being caught by Ovando in right field.
Zach Dando had a short night of work. He walked a batter and gave up a single and his night was done. In came Scott Zuloaga who allowed one of the inherited runners to score limited the damage nicely. Michael Dimock came in in the eighth and struggled. Blasik's diving stop with a runner moving from second on the play limited the damage to just two runs scored. Michael Hauschild came on to pitch the ninth. Like his predecessors, he didn't have a clean inning but it was effective.
Princeton's Two Out RBI
Princeton scored six of their seven runs with two outs. The fact that there were two runs allowed the base runners to be off with the crack of the bat, thus allowing several runners to score from second easily on singles. It is a good thing they were just five for 18 with runners in scoring position for the night.
Reality Check
I will say what I said yesterday, I am excited about this team. However, this isn't the best start in the history of the G-Stros. The 2010 version got off to a 7-2 start and then lost their next seven games to fall out of contention. There are other teams to contend with that we won't see for a few weeks. Greeneville has a solid +23 run differential, however Elizabethon has an amazing +48 run differential.
There appears to be a very positive vibe about this team and I hope that they keep going about their business and we get to watch some winning baseball. I also hope that when Elizabethon comes to town on July 11th for three games, the games will have a playoff style atmosphere.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Eyewitness Report: 6/21/12 Gville 10, Johnson City 3
Tonight, my son & I took in the game at Johnson City. The game was never really in doubt for Greeneville as they put up five runs in the first and forced Greeneville starter Francis Ramirez to return to the bull pen to throw to stay loose. The G-Stros sent nine men to the plate in the first. They tacked on single runs in the second, third & fourth innings before putting up a zero on the board. They added two more in the seventh to wrap up the scoring.
In The Field
Defensively, the Astros played error free ball. They bobbled a few balls on the infield but were able to stay with them and still get outs. Most of the bounces went their way tonight. One example of the gracious bounces of the ball tonight is found in the ninth. MILB described the play this way:
The Astros also benefited from a botched run down and a bad throw to start a double play that pulled the SS off second and allowed both runners to be safe. So Johnson City helped.
On The Mound
Pitching wise, Francis Ramirez had a solid start. My unofficial pitch count for him was 85 pitches in five innings. The only really hard hit ball off of him was the double hit by Schaffer. Everything else were dinks and dunks. The bullpen came in and threw strikes. Zachary Hardoin gave up a lead off HR Schaffer but settled down nicely after that. In his two innings, he threw 27 pitches; with 17 of those counting as strkes. The next pitcher, Christian Garcia was all around the plate as well, maybe too much as three singles loaded the bases. However he worked his way out of the game. Garcia came in as a substitution was made at catcher. I was reminded that it is early in the season as there were several visits between Christian Moronta and Garcia to confer about being on the same page. Michael Dimock closed it out with a solid ninth.
At The Plate
At the plate the G-Stros were hitting hard line drives all over the field.
Jean Batista went five for six. All of his hits were singles but four of the five were hard hit balls.
Ariel Ovando is crushing the ball. He went 4 for 5 with two doubles and a triple.He hit the ball to all fields. He hit a hard line drive down the right field line for a double, a ball off the left field wall for a double and a ball to deep center for a triple. His strike out late in the game was due to some very hard swings at balls low in the zone. I think he was going for the home run to complete the cycle. That concerns me a little but I am enjoying seeing the power. Last year, he had 15 extra base hits in 44 games. This year, he already has four in the first three games.
James Howick went 4 for 5 with a double. He hit a few balls hard but also had some that found holes. Every good hitter has the ability to find the holes.
The Astros won the opening series over the Cardinals and now head to Kingport for the weekend. Kingsport is young but talent rich due to the fact they have no Gulf Coast League team this season. It will be interesting to see how that series goes.
In The Field
Defensively, the Astros played error free ball. They bobbled a few balls on the infield but were able to stay with them and still get outs. Most of the bounces went their way tonight. One example of the gracious bounces of the ball tonight is found in the ninth. MILB described the play this way:
Dutch Deol flies into a force out, right fielder Ariel Ovando to shortstop James Howick. Gerwuins Velazco out at 2nd. Dutch Deol to 1st.Here is what really happened. Deol hit a high pop in the grass in shallow right field. Ovando is coming in and Blasik is going out. Second baseman Brian Blasik appears to have a bead on the ball but hears Ovando calling him off. Ovando is right behind Blasik and appears he has decided to give way the the second baseman. Both gave up at the same time and the ball dropped off of Ovando's glove. The runner at first had frozen on the fly and had no chance to get to second on the play. So that accounts for the unusual 9-6 put out on the fielders choice.
The Astros also benefited from a botched run down and a bad throw to start a double play that pulled the SS off second and allowed both runners to be safe. So Johnson City helped.
On The Mound
Pitching wise, Francis Ramirez had a solid start. My unofficial pitch count for him was 85 pitches in five innings. The only really hard hit ball off of him was the double hit by Schaffer. Everything else were dinks and dunks. The bullpen came in and threw strikes. Zachary Hardoin gave up a lead off HR Schaffer but settled down nicely after that. In his two innings, he threw 27 pitches; with 17 of those counting as strkes. The next pitcher, Christian Garcia was all around the plate as well, maybe too much as three singles loaded the bases. However he worked his way out of the game. Garcia came in as a substitution was made at catcher. I was reminded that it is early in the season as there were several visits between Christian Moronta and Garcia to confer about being on the same page. Michael Dimock closed it out with a solid ninth.
At The Plate
At the plate the G-Stros were hitting hard line drives all over the field.
Jean Batista went five for six. All of his hits were singles but four of the five were hard hit balls.
Ariel Ovando is crushing the ball. He went 4 for 5 with two doubles and a triple.He hit the ball to all fields. He hit a hard line drive down the right field line for a double, a ball off the left field wall for a double and a ball to deep center for a triple. His strike out late in the game was due to some very hard swings at balls low in the zone. I think he was going for the home run to complete the cycle. That concerns me a little but I am enjoying seeing the power. Last year, he had 15 extra base hits in 44 games. This year, he already has four in the first three games.
James Howick went 4 for 5 with a double. He hit a few balls hard but also had some that found holes. Every good hitter has the ability to find the holes.
The Astros won the opening series over the Cardinals and now head to Kingport for the weekend. Kingsport is young but talent rich due to the fact they have no Gulf Coast League team this season. It will be interesting to see how that series goes.
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