Interview: Nine Innings with Jordan Scott

Today I had the chance to visit with Jordan Scott by phone.  Jordan is the 2011 MVP of the Greeneville Astros.  He was nice enough to give me a bit of his time to answer a few questions.   I normally have nine questions for the players, he was kind enough to go to extra innings with me.  Enjoy.

 

1. You had a good year in 2010 for the GCL Astros. Then you had a very good season for Greeneville and earned the team MVP award. What areas did you see yourself improve in from year one to year two?

JS: Pretty much improving in all aspects of my game.  The biggest part is getting better in the outfield; running better routes and getting better reads on the ball.  Then hitting wise, I worked with the hitting coach, Josh Bonifay.  We did a lot of early hitting. We would probably get out to the field at 1:30 to just get on the field and try to improve the mechanics and get everything consistent.

2. Those of us who follow minor league baseball hear about instructionals but have no idea what they are really like. Can you give us an idea of what instructional league is like?

JS: You take your top 40 or 50 guys out of your organization and play about 20 to 25 games during that month.  It’s basically a lot of instructional stuff and trying to get better in an aspect of your game.  It is a lot of preparation before the game and a lot of practice.  We played against the Nationals, Tigers and Braves.  

3. Were you working on anything particular during instructionals?

JS: I worked on being more consistent in the outfield.  Whether it be the route on the ball or getting my arm stronger.

4. What about for this off season? 

JS: I am preparing myself for next season by working out five or six days a week.  Getting stronger and hitting a lot.

In just two seasons, you have had the chance to play with four different pro teams in the Astros organization. Give your best and worst for each rung of the minor league ladder you have climbed:

5. GCL Astros

JS:Best - Gettting my pro career off to a good start.  I had pretty descent year that year.  I think that was the best for me, just to get a good first season under my belt.  To get some confidence to carry into the next season.

Worst - Everything happening so fast.  Signing and then going down there within two days. It was a pretty tough change for me being away from family and stuff.

6. Greeneville

JS: Best - The fans and the atmosphere.  Coming from the GCL the previous year, there are not many fans at all in the GCL.

Worst - Every other field we played at wasn’t that great.  It was a lot different on the road than at home. 

7. TriCities

JS: Best - I played two series on the road and at one stop, we stayed at a pretty sweet hotel and I could see the stadium from my hotel room. It was with in walking distance.  So it was just walk to the field and walk back.

Worst -  We went from the best park in the league to the worst park in the league.  The other bad thing was that I didn’t get to play at their home stadium.

8. Lexington

JS: Best - Everything.  From the nice apartment we stayed in to the nice facilities to the great fans to going up there on a really good baseball team. It was a really cool experience for me.

Worst - The bus trips.  They’re terrible.  All night trips where you are not very comfortable on the bus. 

9. Who is/are the pitcher(s) on Greeneville's staff this year that you were glad they were on your team so that you didn't have to try to hit off them? (please give us an idea of what pitch is particularly nasty in their arsenal)

JS: Ordisgoitti – as a lefty he throws a lot of two seamers down and away. He has a really good change up and a pretty descent slider. He has pretty good velocity.  He’s a really tough pitcher.    

Extra Innings: I assume you were a baseball fan growing up. Have you had that moment yet where you interact with someone you think of as a player on TV but they are right there on the field next to you? If, so which one stands out in your mind as most memorable.

JS:I got to face Chien Ming Wang and El Duque when I was down in extended this year.  It’s pretty awesome to know you have watched them on TV before but in reality, it’s just you against the pitcher like when you are facing everyone else.  You just have to have confidence to know you will succeed.



I would like to think Jordan for his time today and wish him the best as he prepares for next season.

Jose Altuve is the LVBP Player of the Week

Understatement of the day: Jose Altuve had a pretty good week back in his home of Venezuela.  According to the press release, announcing the weekly award: (gotta love Google Translator)

In short, Jose Altuve during the fourth week took 23 turns in which officers discharged a dozen rockets, which included 4 doubles and a triple, to leave .522 average, in addition to charter 6 stripes and step on the plate 4 times.

Altuve has hit in nine of his last ten games and has had multiple hit games six times out of the last ten.  In fact he has had multi hit games each of the last four games. He has risen to second in the league with a .394 average.

2009 Greeneville Astros Progress Report

The 2009 G-Stros were the first bunch that were the sandwich short season team.  Below them, the new GCL Astros were playing at the spring training complex. And the ValleyCats were playing above them in the NY- Penn League. In Greeneville, the fans didn't know what to expect from the new set up in the lower minors.  What we saw was a mix of high draft pick high school players and low round/free agent college players.  This edition of the the G-Stros had just seven teenagers and all seven were still active this year.

Of the 35 players who graced the roster that year, 63% (22) were still active on an affiliated roster at some point this season.  Let's look at how high they climbed.  They are listed by the highest level they appeared in and the percentage by each level is out of the full roster.

MLB (2- 6%)

Jose Altuve - see 2008 write up

J. D. Martinez - made a brief stop in Greeneville on his rapid climb to the majors.  He hit .403 during just 14 games in Greeneville.  This year, he hist .274 in 53 games in the big leagues.  He made the fastest climb of any G-Stros position player to the majors. 


AAA ( 0 - 0%)

AA (0 - 0%)
Altuve & Martinez appeared at this level but made it the the show to end the season.


High A (6- 17%)
Miguel Arrendell - The utility man appeared at five positions for Lancaster (RF, LF, SS, 2B, 3B) while hitting .281 in 50 games.  He was moved back to Tri Cities for the last month of the season to sure up their middle infield where he hit just .219 in 18 games. Arrendell will turn 24 during spring training next season.

Grant Hogue - Hogue was a  fan favorite during his time in G'ville for his hustle and easy going nature with fans.  After playing in CF exclusively in 09 & 10, he spent time in all three outfield positions in Lancaster in 2011.  He spent 76 of the 106 games in right field, where he amassed 11 of his 15 assist.  He hit .269 on the season.  He will be 25 when he reports to spring training.

Jonathan Meyer - Meyer continues to show improvement as he climbs the ladder.  In Lancaster in 2011, he hit .264 with 14 home runs.  He had only hit 5 in his previous two seasons.  Next year will determine if the power is the result of Lancaster or his maturation as a hitter.  He will be 21 when he reports next season. 

Jio Mier - He evenly split his season between Lexington and Lancaster, playing 57 games at each stop.  He  hit .245 at Lexington, an improvement over 2010's .235, before moving to Lancaster where he hit .233.  Mier is still considered a solid SS prospect and will be 21 when next season rolls around.

Jose Cisnero  - is the pitcher from 2009 who has climbed the highest.  He pitched in Lancaster and amassed a 6.06 ERA. However, when you average 11.09 strike outs per 9 innings (152 in 123 1/3 IP), that means there is something happening good there.  Cisnero will be turn 23 next April. 

Luis Cruz  - see 2008 write up.

Low A (7 - 20%)
Garrett Bullock - the tall lefty made just three appearances in Lexington before returning to short season ball in Tri Cities.  Those three outings were not that impressive.  However, his 2.51 ERA in Tri Cities was solid.  Bullock is old for the levels he has been playing.  He will start the season at 25.

Jeiler Castillo - see 2008 write up.

Gabriel Garcia - after two seasons in G'ville, Garcia moved up to Lexington where he was solid.  In 69 1/3 IP (37 games), he had a 3.76 ERA which is lower than his ERA in either season in Greeneville.  He struck out 68 batters and had a WHIP of just 1.212 which is the lowest of his career.  He is pitching well in winter ball in Venezuela right now.  He will be 22 when spring training begins. 

Murilo Gouvea - spent most of the season in Lexington with a brief time in Tri Cities.  In Lex, he amassed a 3.98 ERA in 30 games (74 2/3 IP).  He had more than a strike out an inning with 83.  He struggled keeping the walks down.  He will be 23 when next season begins.

David Martinez - was a man in search of a role this year.  He pitched in 37 games. He started five and finished 17.  In 66 2/3 IP, he fanned 44 batters while walking 17.  He will be 24 at the beginning of spring training.

Yuri Perez - like Bullock, he had a less than memorable brief stint at Lexington. He made 15 starts for TriCities where he had a 5.48 ERA.  Perez missed most of 2010 after elbow surgery.  He is still working his way back.  We hope he can regain the form he had in 2009 for Greeneville.  He will be 21 at the start of spring training.

Carlos Quevedo - really struggled to keep the ball in the park.  He gave up 22 home runs in Lexington this season in 151 innings pitched.  That equates to 1.3 HR every nine innings.  He gave up more home runs than walks. Quevedo walked 19 batters for an average of 1.1 per nine innings pitched.  Quevedo will be 22 at the start of spring training. 

Short Season A (3 - 5%)
Bubby Williams - the catcher with the cool name,spent 2011 in the New York Penn League.  His showed power, leading the team with six home runs but struggled making consistent contact.  He hit .206 in 36 games for the ValleyCats.  He will be 22 at the start of spring training next year.

Joan Belliard - repeated the NYPenn league in 2011 but only pitched in 18 2/3 innings.  His strike out numbers are still strong but is still struggling with walks.  He will be turning 23 in March.

Travis Smink - after two seasons in G'ville, he moved to Tri Cities this season.  In 23 games, he had a 4.37 ERA.  He will turn 25 next April. 

Rookie Ball & DL (4 - 11%)
Luis Alverez - returned to Greeneville after missing 2010 with a bad knee injury.  Alverez hit .271 in 38 games.  He only struck out 19 times in 151 plate appearances.  He turns 22 just before minor leaguers report to spring training.

B J Hyatt - listed on the roster for Greeneville but never was in uniform.  Still rehabbing from surgery after the 2009 season.

Wilton Infante & Nathan Pettus - see 2008 write up.

Summary
Like the 2008 edition, the 2009 team still has 22 active players.  Unlike them, it is the position players who have climbed faster than the pitchers.  A few of the players in this group will not be back for spring training but the core of this bunch should be at AA and High A to start next year.

Former Appy Astros Who Are Now Minor League Free Agents

Baseball America released their list of the minor league free agents on Friday.  There are a great number of former G-Stros who are on the list.   Here are the ones whose careers are at a crossroads. Included are the year(s) they played in Greeneville and the organization they played in last season.

Sammy Gervacio (05 - Houston)
Brad James (05,06 - Houston)
JR Towles (04 - Houston)
Koby Clemens (05 - Houston)
Jhonny Medrano (10 - Houston)
Wlad Sutil (04 - Houston)
Victor Garate (05-  Florida)
Neil Sellers (04 - Florida)
Jordan Parraz (04 - NY Yankees)
Polin Trinidad (05,06 - Texas)
Jimmy Barthmaier (04 - Washington)

Most of the ones on the list have had their shots at the AA level or higher.  However Medrano has only been as high as Lexington (Low A).  He was on the initial roster for the 2008 G-Stros and was bringing a fair amount of buzz with him. He blew his knee out at the first practice of the season in Greeneville.  He missed all of 2008 and never fully regained his prospect status. 

Some of these players will sign with an affiliated team to fill out the upper levels rosters.  Some will choose to play in a foreign country.  Some will play indy ball.  Some of these players will hang their spikes up and walk away silently into the night. We will try to keep you informed on what happens to these players.

2008 Greeneville Astros Progress Report

What a difference a year makes.  The 2008 Greeneville Astros finished the year 30-36.  While not quite at .500, they were 13 games better than the previous year's team.  This was a young team with 18 of the 38 players still in the teen years when the season began.  Three of them were still 17 (Jay Austin, Jordan Lyles & Luis Cruz).  In 2011, 58% (22 out of 38) of the 2008 roster were still playing affiliated baseball. In fact 12 of the 18 teenagers were still active.

Let's look at this group based on the highest level they played at this year.  The percentage is of the 2008 full roster.

MLB 2 (5%)

Jose Altuve  - Started in Lancaster and hit .408 prior to being moved to Corpus Christ where he hit .361. Then he was promoted to Houston.  In the big leagues, he hit a respectable .276 in 221 at bats in 57 games.  He appears to have locked down the starting 2nd base position for 2012 at the ripe age of 22.

Jordan Lyles -  While Altuve's sudden climb was a bit of a surprise to some, Lyles ascendance was expected.  He was sent to AAA to start the year after a solid spring training but was called up to the quickly to the majors and spent most of the season there.  He started 15 games before being moved to the pen to keep his inning count down.  He finished with a 2-8 record and a 5. 36 ERA.  He has locked up a rotation position for 2012 at age 21.

AAA 2 (5%)
 Patrick Urckfitz - Urckfitz bounced around earning frequent flier miles this year.  He was in AA to start the season.  Then got some brief time in at  AAA before heading back to AA. Next came a short time in hi A before return to AA to wrap up the season.  In four games at AAA he amassed a 17.47 ERA.  In AA 5.08 in 31 games. In hi A, he appeared in 10 games with a 2.02 ERA.  Gotta love a NDFA reaching this level.  he will be 23 at the start of next season.

Henry Villar - Started the season in AAA but was moved to AA in June.  In AAA, he made 7 starts but that experiment ended and he spent the rest of the year in the pen.  Pitched just 76 innings worth of ball between the two for a combined 5.45 ERA. Villar had a brief appearance in the big leagues in 2010. He will be 24 at the start of next season. 

AA  5 (13%)
Kody Hinze  - Had a break out year.  He started in Lancaster, where he hit .323 with 22 HR. He was promoted to CC where he hit 281 with 7 HR.  He is getting extra at bats in the Arizona Fall League right now.  Another solid Non Drafted Free Agent (NDFA) signing. He will be 24 in spring training.

Federico Hernandez - It was a rough year for Freddy.  He struggled at the plate both at AA and at High A after he was sent down to Lancaster.  In both stops he hit less than .200.  He will turn 24 just before pitchers and catchers report.

Ross Seaton - Spent the year in Corpus Christi, 4-9 with a  5.23 in 28 starts.  He continues to climb a level a year even thought the results aren't spectacular. He will just be 22 when spring training starts.

Kyle Greenwalt & Arcenio Leon  see the 2007 write up.

Hi A  7 (18%)
Jay Austin - The former 2nd round draft pick repeated Lancaster to start the season.  After not showing much progress over last season, he was sent to Lexington to finish the year and he continued to struggle.  He is getting more at bats int the Arizona Fall League right now.  He will be just 21 when the 2012 minor league players report to camp.

Rene Garcia  - The 35th round pick from 2008 spent this season in the California league where he hit hit .242 with only 41 K in 326 AB.  He threw out 30% of base stealers. He will turn 22 during spring training next year.

Luis Cruz - The 9th round pick in 2008 made 4 starts in Lancaster where he got shelled (ERA over 14).  But found moderate success back in Lexington where he went 5-4 with a 4.45 era.  He had 92 strike outs in 91 IP in Lex but gave up 15 HR. He will still be 21 when next season ends!

Colton Pitkin - see the 2007 write up

 
Zachary Grimmett - He split time between the starting rotation and the bullpen this year in Lancaster.  As a starter 7.35 ERA in 18 games (85 2/3 IP) as a reliever 5.34 in 12 games (32 IP). He will turn 22 before he reports to spring training.

Jose Trinidad  - Season shorted to just 10 games due to an injury. He will start the season on the DL at age 24.

Wander Alvino  - Had 73 K in 73 IP (46 games).  His 4.19 ERA isn't bad when you consider the location. His walks per 9 jumped from 2.8 in Lex in 10 to 6.3 in Lancaster.  Alvino will turn 25 before he reports this spring.



Low A 3 (8%)
Jorge De Leon - The former shortstop now converted to pitcher went 6-4 with a 3.42 ERA in 43 games (55 1/3 IP).  He struck out 51 to just 13 walks while giving up 5 long balls. He will be 24 next season. 


Brad Dydalewicz - The 8th round pick of the 2008 draft had a rough season.  In  only 29 2/3 innings pitched between GCL & Lexington, he amassed a 10.86 ERA.  He will turn 22 during spring training next season. 


Jeiler Castillo - After being drafted by the A's in the rule 5 draft; Castillo started in the Midwest league (Low A) but was sent back to Vermont (SS A) for his 4th season in short season ball.  He was released after the season.

Short Season 1 (3%)
Wilton Infante  - The former outfielder tried to make the move to pitcher.  After six outings in the GCL, he was released

DL/Rehab 2 (5%)
Albert Cartwright - see the 2007 write up.

Nathan Pettus - The former 27th round pick of the 2008 draft spent most of 2011 on the DL.  He appeared in 5 games at the GCL Astros rehabbing his way back from an injury.  He will be 23 when the new season starts. 

We would expect the number of active players to continue to rise while we look at more recent teams but the jump from five to 22 in one year tells us that something changed in the Astros farm system in 2008.  Oh yeah, Bobby Heck joined the Astros staff in October of 2007.  You think that change made a difference?