Down the Stretch 2011 - Hessville at California

For the final two months of the season, I will be providing game-by-game recaps on the series that matter the most to the BRASSball playoff races. The California Roadrunners entered August only two games back of Superior and Plaza for the final AL wild card spot. First up is the Hessville Everreadys, three games behind the Roadrunners, and five games back for a playoff berth.

Game 1: California 7, Hessville 2

After being benched all of July for usage reasons, Mike Aviles returned to the top of the Roadrunner lineup and smashed a lead-off home run to put the home club up 1-0. Then with two outs in the first, starter Derek Lowe served up a fat one to Jose Bautista (his league-leading 33rd home run), giving California a 2-0 lead. The power surge continued in the bottom of the second, when Bengie Molina hit a 2-run home run to straightaway center, scoring Julio Borbon, and extending the lead to 4-0. Newly-acquired Rafael Furcal doubled and scored in the 3rd inning to add another run against Lowe.

The E-Readys got on the board in the 5th when catcher Gregg Zaun homered off of starter Ian Kennedy to make the score 5-1, but the Roadrunners responded in the bottom-half of the inning. Bautista singled home Aviles, making it 6-1, but Lowe was able to get out of trouble and limit California to the one run. Lowe actually settled down and didn't allow a run in the 6th and 7th. Reliever Brian Moehler was called in to face California in the 8th. He began the inning by walking Bautista, who scored his BRASSball-leading 88th run after Carlos Lee moved him to third with a single, followed up by a fielder's choice double play off the bat of Manny Ramirez. Moehler got out of the inning, but the score was now 7-1. Bautista's walk was his 74th, currently tops in the league.

Kennedy was left in to try and complete the game, but surrendered a home run to Chris Young to start the 9th. He got into more trouble after Kevin Kouzmanoff singled and Orlando Hudson walked. Kennedy was left in to face Zaun who had homered earlier in the game. Zaun hit a bullet between first and second, but defensive-replacement Mark Ellis was there scoop it up and get the final out at first. The complete game by Kennedy was his sixth, the most of any California starter, and sixth-best in the league (Hessville's Jeremy Guthrie leads all of BRASSball with 9 complete games).

Game 2: California 5, Hessville 0

The second game of the series featured California's top starting pitcher, Chris Volstad (8-6, 3.52), and 11-game winner Clayton Richard for Hessville. Both starters were having no trouble getting through their opponent's batting order until the 3rd inning. Paul Janish singled for California, and Mark Ellis took the next pitch from Richard and hit it over center fielder Chris Young. Young recovered, though, and threw Janish out at home. Ellis moved to third, but Rafael Furcal struck out to end the inning. The Hessvile bench coaches had some words for Young as he ran into the dugout, though, talking to him about his outfield positioning. Young seemed to shrug them off, clearly upset with the criticism.

It was three up and three down for the Roadrunners in the 4th, but the fireworks were busted out in the 5th, courtesy of Josh Hamilton. BRASSball's leading hitter got into the mix with a two-run home run, scoring Aramis Ramirez who had led off the inning with a walk. Richard was out of sorts after the big hit, and allowed singles to Bengie Molina and Mark Ellis. Then, Furcal scooted a dribbler past a diving Orlando Hudson that scored Molina from third. With runners on first and third and one out, Richard was sent to the clubhouse, and in stepped Jamey Wright. While Wright was busy getting settled, Furcal swiped second. It didn't matter, though, as Kosuke Fukudome struck out, and Jose Bautista flied out to center to end the inning. After five complete, California had a 3-0 lead on Hessville.

Volstad was on cruise control for the entire game until the 7th. With one out, Chris Young doubled to deep center, just missing a home run. Ian Stewart stepped up, due for a hit that would most likely score the speedy Young from second. However, Young had other ideas and attempted to steal third. He was nailed by the catcher Molina, out by a mile. The Hessville bench erupted, not because of a poor call by the umpire, but because of the decision on Young's part to ignore the third base coach's signs. Even Stewart was caught barking something profane back to Young, reminding him that the team is in a playoff race. After things cooled off, Stewart, of course, roped a single into center. Delmon Young grounded out to third to end the inning.

Knowing Hessville was not mentally in the game any longer, California was ready to put the game away in the 8th. The familiar Brian Moehler was brought in to face Jose Bautista. Bautista hit a rocket to first baseman Gaby Sanchez, but Sanchez couldn't handle it and was charged with an error. Carlos Lee stepped up and laced a single into the outfield. Aramis Ramirez followed with a single of his own, scoring Bautista. Josh Hamilton then hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Lee from third. Moehler was then able to get Molina to ground into an inning-ending double play, but not before the Roadrunners took a 5-0 lead in the game.

The Everreadys were able to get a couple of hits off of Volstad in the 9th (including a double by Young), but Stewart flied out to end the game. It will be interesting to see Hessville's mental state in game three of the series after many of Chris Young's teammates were visibly irate with his selfish base running. For Volstad, the shutout was his first of the year, and the 5th for a Roadrunner starting pitcher. He lowered his ERA to a team-best 3.27. The Everreadys are now in a must-win situation if they want to stay in the playoff race.

Game 3: Hessville 5, California 0

With the series on the line, the Everreadys asked Jeremy Guthrie to right the ship. Arguably their best starting pitcher (2.61 ERA and a 9-9 record), he took the mound to face off against the struggling and underachieving John Lackey (6-8, 4.82).

The Everready offense came out with something to prove, and prove it they did. In the top of the second inning, Chris Young lead off with a walk. Listening to his first base coach, he held up to see if his teammates could drive him in. With one out, Delmon Young then doubled to right-center. Both Youngs scored when Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a ground ball single into center. Lackey was able to get two more outs to put out the fire, but the damage had already been done, and Hessville was leading 2-0.

The offense kept rolling along in the third with J-Roll. Jimmy Rollins doubled. Ryan Kalish was then walked by Lackey, making it first and second with nobody out for Hessville's main man Gaby Sanchez. Sanchez flied out to right, but the runners held. Chris Young was next and slapped a single to right, scoring Rollins to take a 3-0 lead. Ian Stewart grounded out to first to end the inning. Young ran over to Stewart and yelled, "Let's go!" in hopes of firing up his teammate. Stewart walked back to the bench shaking his head.

Things were very quiet after the third inning. Both Guthrie and Lackey had really settled in as neither of them let the opposing team get anything going. That is, until the 9th inning. With three hits already in the game, Delmon Young raked a triple into left-center. The Roadrunner infield was brought in to try and keep Young from scoring. Kevin Kouzmanoff took notice and promptly singled over the head of shortstop Rafael Furcal. Having seen enough, Lackey was then replaced with reliever Ryan Perry to face three straight Hessville switch-hitters. With one out, Gregg Zaun doubled to center, moving Kouzmanoff to third. Perry then put one in the dirt that got past catcher Rod Barajas, allowed Kouzmanoff to score, and Zaun to move up to third. After two pop outs, the Everreadys were retired, but only after giving Jeremy Guthrie a couple extra insurance runs.

Guthrie responded in kind with a one-two-three ninth inning, finishing the complete game shutout. For Guthrie, it was his BRASSball-leading tenth complete game and BRASSball-leading fourth shutout. He lowered his ERA to 2.46, now good for third best in all of BRASSball. Despite losing in game three, the Roadrunners were able to pick up a half game on Superior and Plaza, while the Everreadys fell back behind Lancaster in the AL Wild Card standings.

June 2011 Recap

The Roadrunners faced BRASSball's toughest division in June, the American League Central. The club finished the month at home with an 8-6 record, their first winning month this season. Even though California was outscored 67-63 in 14 games, it was playing well when it mattered most, going 4-1 in one-run games, improving their overall record in one-run games to 16-8. The Roadrunner bullpen deserved most of the credit, going 5-1 with 4 saves.

Roadrunners Defeat Maulers in 19-Inning Affair

In one of the most nerve-racking Strat-O-Matic games I've played in a long time, the California Roadrunners edged out the Cook County Maulers 7-6 in 19 innings.

California held a 5-4 lead going into the 7th inning, but the bullpen was unable to hold the lead for starter Chris Volstad. Ryan Perry surrendered a game-tying home run to Vladimir Guerrero, then walked Prince Fielder, and gave up a single to Alex Rodriguez. Will Ohman was called in to face Luke Scott, who was walked. A wild pitch plated Fielder, and the Roadrunners got out of the jam by getting Ramon Hernandez to fly out, with Alex Rodriguez getting thrown out at home to end the inning.

The Maulers decided to leave their starter, Adam Wainwright, in the game. After Alex Cora grounded out, Mike Aviles homered to tie the game at 6-6. Wainwright went on to pitch into the 10th inning, while the Roadrunners had already used three members of their bullpen. There were no real threats from either club until the bottom of the 16th inning.

Both teams had stellar relief as both Evan Meek and Matt Guerrier threw 3 innings each, completely shutting down the opposition. However, Guerrier was fatigued, and couldn't complete the 15th inning. The last Roadrunner reliever, Chan Ho Park, was called on to face Guerrero; Vlad grounded out to end the inning. Cook County brought in Brian Sanches and got Jose Bautista, Josh Hamilton, and Bengie Molina to fly out for a 1-2-3- inning. For Park, it would be a different story.

In the bottom of the 16th, Park would face the heart of the Mauler lineup, and must have let the pressure get to him. He walked Fielder, Rodriguez, and Andruw Jones (who was brought in as a defensive substitution in the 12th). With the bases loaded, it appeared all but over for California. However, with Strat-O-Matic, things are never what they seem. Hernandez once again was a double-play victim, this time lining out to third, doubling up Fielder. Jim Edmonds then flew out to end the inning, leaving the Roadrunners with a chance to win it.

However, all was quiet again as Sanches and Park meandered through each others' lineup until Sanches could throw no more. On to the bottom of the 19th, where we saw Miguel Batista enter the game for Cook County. Mark Ellis lead off the inning with a single, and Aramis Ramirez followed up with a strike out. Manny Ramirez looped a single that moved Ellis to third. With one out, and the winning run 90 feet away, Jose Bautista returned to the plate for the eighth time. He smacked a single -- his fourth hit of the game -- right up the middle, scoring Ellis in a walk-off win.

BOXSCORE: 2011 Cook County Maulers At 2011 California Roadrunners   6/11/2011
 
  Maulers            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Roadrunners        AB  R  H RBI AVG
  B.Zobrist 2B        8  0  1  0 .265     M.Aviles 2B         5  1  2  1 .319  
  D.Murphy RF         9  1  1  2 .240   F-A.Ramirez PH,3B     2  0  0  0 .229  
  V.Guerrero DH       9  2  3  1 .298     M.Ramirez DH        7  1  1  0 .162  
  P.Fielder 1B        7  2  3  2 .275     J.Bautista 3B,1B    7  2  4  2 .248  
  A.Rodriguez 3B      7  0  1  0 .225     J.Hamilton RF,LF    8  1  2  3 .377  
  L.Scott LF          4  0  0  0 .319     C.Lee LF            3  0  2  1 .226  
C-C.Utley PR          0  0  0  0 .234   A-B.Molina C          5  0  2  0 .265  
D-A.Jones LF          2  0  0  0 .226     R.Barajas C         3  0  0  0 .255  
  R.Hernandez C       7  0  1  0 .364   B-K.Fukudome RF       5  0  0  0 .194  
  J.Edmonds CF        8  0  1  0 .271     J.Borbon CF         7  0  0  0 .198  
  J.Uribe SS          6  1  1  0 .245     W.Valdez SS         8  0  1  0 .237  
                                          A.Cora 1B           6  1  1  0 .261  
                                        E-M.Ellis PH,2B       2  1  1  0 .331  
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      67  6 12  5                 Totals      68  7 16  7
 
A-Subbed Defensively (C ) For Lee In 7th Inning
B-Subbed Defensively (RF) For Barajas In 7th Inning
C-Pinch Ran For Scott In 12th Inning
D-Subbed Defensively (LF) For Utley In 12th Inning
E-Pinch Hit For Cora In 17th Inning
F-Pinch Hit For Aviles In 17th Inning
 
Maulers......... 2 0 2  0 0 0  2 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  0 -  6 12  0
Roadrunners..... 1 0 4  0 0 0  1 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  1 -  7 16  0
 
Maulers (40-19)          IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET
A.Wainwright              9 2/3  10   6   6   2  11   2   4.53  A1 E4
J.Hanrahan                1 1/3   0   0   0   0   1   0   3.18  E5 E8
E.Meek                    3       2   0   0   1   1   0   5.76  E9 G2
B.Sanches                 2       0   0   0   0   0   0   2.55  G3 G8
M.Thornton                2       1   0   0   2   2   0   2.95  G9 H8
M.Batista LOSS(0-1)       0 1/3   3   1   1   0   1   0  10.80  H9
Totals                   18 1/3  16   7   7   5  16   2
 
Roadrunners (37-28)      IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET
C.Volstad                 6       6   4   4   4   3   2   2.78  A1 D1
R.Perry BS(1st)           0 1/3   2   2   2   1   0   1   4.76  D2 D5
W.Ohman                   3       2   0   0   1   2   0   2.51  D6 E7
N.Robertson               1       1   0   0   0   0   0   2.00  E8 F2
B.Lyon                    1 1/3   0   0   0   3   0   0   1.21  F3 F9
M.Guerrier                3       1   0   0   1   4   0   3.75  G1 H2
C.Park WIN(1-0)           4 1/3   0   0   0   3   3   0   4.43  H3
Totals                   19      12   6   6  13  12   3
 
ATTENDANCE- 41,734 DATE- Thursday, June 11th 2011 TIME- Day WEATHER- Good
UMPIRES- Tim McClelland, Larry Vanover, Mike Everitt, Mike Dimuro
T- 6:28
LEFT ON BASE- Maulers:17  Roadrunners:12
DOUBLE PLAYS- Maulers: 1  Roadrunners: 2
DOUBLES- J.Hamilton(18th)
HOME RUNS- D.Murphy(6th), V.Guerrero(8th), P.Fielder(10th), M.Aviles(5th),
           J.Bautista(22nd)
STOLEN BASES- J.Uribe(1st), M.Aviles-2(12th)
SACRIFICE HITS- M.Aviles, J.Borbon
WALKS- B.Zobrist, P.Fielder-2, A.Rodriguez-2, L.Scott-2, A.Jones, R.Hernandez-2,
       J.Edmonds, J.Uribe-2, M.Aviles, M.Ramirez-2, J.Bautista-2
STRIKE OUTS- B.Zobrist, D.Murphy, V.Guerrero, A.Rodriguez, L.Scott, A.Jones-2,
             R.Hernandez, J.Edmonds-3, J.Uribe, M.Aviles-2, A.Ramirez,
             M.Ramirez-2, J.Hamilton-3, R.Barajas, K.Fukudome-2, J.Borbon-3,
             W.Valdez-2
GIDP- C.Lee
WILD PITCHES- W.Ohman
2-out RBI- P.Fielder-2, J.Bautista
 
Third baseman Jose Bautista had 4 hits and 2 RBI as the California Roadrunners
defeated the Cook County Maulers in 19 innings 7 to 6 at Angels Stadium.
 
The score was tied at 6 after nine.  California won it in the 19th inning.
Mark Ellis ripped a base-knock.  Aramis Ramirez struck out, unable to help
the rally.  Manny Ramirez then stroked a base-hit.  Bautista was up next and
he banged out a single giving California the win much to the delight of the
home town crowd.  Overall California out-hit Cook County 16 to 12.  
 
Chan Ho Park(1-0) got credit for the victory, pitching 4 and 1/3 innings and
allowing no runs. Miguel Batista(0-1) took the loss in relief.  

May 2011 Home Players of the Month

It was another 7-7 month for the California Roadrunners at home in May, matching their 7-7 home record for April.

Overall, the offense continued to carry the team, batting .283 with 13 home runs. The middle of the Roadrunner lineup struggled at the plate this month. Jose Bautista, Carlos Lee, and Aramis Ramirez combined to hit only .212 with 6 home runs in 132 at-bats. Wilson Valdez (.364), Ronny Cedeno (.333), and Mark Aviles (.314) picked up the slack at the top and bottom of the order.

The pitching staff was decent, posting a 4.32 ERA. Two complete games were thrown, including a shutout by Ian Kennedy. Despite his first loss (and the team's first loss in extra innings), Brandon Lyon continued his stellar season as the team's closer going 3-for-3 in save opportunities. John Lackey rebounded a bit this month, with two victories and 15 strikeouts in 15 innings pitched. Nate Robertson did not allow an earned run in 6 1/3 relief innings.

Home Hitter of the Month - Josh Hamilton
Josh Hamilton missed 3 games at home, but still managed to carry the team's offense. He posted an impressive .606 average, with two home runs and 6 RBI in 11 games. Both of his home runs came in one game against right-handed pitching. In 29 at-bats against RHP, Hamilton hit .621 with an .862 slugging percentage. At one point during the May homestand, he had a hit in seven consecutive at-bats. Hamilton is now starting to put up MVP-like numbers, boosting his offensive totals to .376-12-36 with an OPS of 1.044 in 53 games.

Home Pitcher of the Month - Chris Volstad
The surprise pitcher of the month was Chris Volstad, edging out John Lackey and Brandon Lyon. Volstad was undefeated at home in three starts, including one complete game, and 8 1/3 innings pitched in another start. While he did walk 10 batters in 25 2/3 innings, he managed to keep those runners on base somehow. Volstad's 1.75 ERA was unexpected considering his card, as was his one home run allowed. Volstad has now emerged as the club's top starting pitcher, improving his overall record to 5-3, while lowering his ERA to 2.51.

Prospect Preview: Tony Sanchez, C

Tony Sanchez is part of the California Roadrunners' amateur system, but could be called on to make an impact behind the plate sooner than later. Sanchez was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round (fourth overall) back in 2009. In 2010, he was selected to the Futures Game All-Star team, but had his season shortened when he was hit in the face with a fastball in June.

Now having gone through a full recovery of a broken jaw, and some LASIK surgery in January of this year, Sanchez is back and ready to prove that he belongs with the big league club.

Sanchez was invited to spring training in 2011, but was only able to get one hit (a double) in two at-bats before being sent down to AA Altoona. He is currently hitting .299-1-9 overall, but is hitting .344 with an OBP of .500 in his last 10 games. In 2009, Sanchez hit .309 with 7 home runs in 178 at-bats. Prior to his facial injury in 2010, Sanchez was hitting .314 in 250 at-bats.

Projected to be a great defender behind the plate, Sanchez would be a great candidate to handle a young pitching staff. He has great framing technique, and a "borderline" plus arm. It will be his offense, though, that will make or break his chances at becoming a perennial all-star. His power numbers are there, and is projected to hit 10-15 home runs per season if he can remain healthy.

Sanchez is currently targeted to make the Pirates' roster in 2012. Looking at the current catching situation for Pittsburgh, it is likely that they will trade one or both of the catchers they currently have on their roster (Chris Snyder and Ryan Doumit), and hope that Sanchez can open next season behind the dish.

Tony Sanchez is the catcher of the future for the California Roadrunners. There's no question that he will be getting regular at-bats for us within a year or two. However, the team has pressing needs at that position with Rod Barajas playing in the last year of his contract, and Bengie Molina sitting at home on his couch waiting for the Red Sox to dial his number. This will push up Sanchez's timetable, but the Roadrunners hope to acquire a catcher or three through some other means so that Sanchez is not rushed.

Official 2011 Outlook
Remain under contract in the CAL Amateur League System.

April 2011 Results - Fast Start or Beginner's Luck?

The California Roadrunners opened their inaugural BRASSball season in 2011 with a strong 16-12 record in the month of April. At home, the club managed to finish at .500, going 7-7 at home. The "road" for the Roadrunners was more favorable, as we posted a 9-6 record. Despite an average (at best) starting rotation, and a very questionable bullpen, the Roadrunners were 5-0 in extra-inning games in April.

2011 Draft Analysis

Now that the 2011 BRASSball draft has concluded, it's time to take a look back at the players selected by the California Roadrunners.

California had all of their picks, except the first-round pick (dealt to Springfield in the Garret Cole trade) and their sixth-round pick (dealt to Santa Barbara prior to 2011). They also had an additional compensatory pick at the end of round 1.

Our overall strategy entering the draft was to diversify the roster with youth, fill out the amateur system for the long term, and add speed. In general, those goals were accomplished. Obviously, time will tell if this approach paid off.

Let's take a look back, pick by pick, and the Roadrunner selections.

Billy Hamilton, OF (Reds)
Round 1 - RFA Comp A (#26)
The philosophy behind the Roadrunners' draft was to obtain speed. What we got were some fast wheels in future leadoff man Billy Hamilton. The only trouble here is we don't know what position he'll end up in: Center? Second? Shortstop? All are possibilities, but one thing is certain: we want him at the top of our lineup.

The other unknown is when Hamilton will be called up. There are rumors that he could see time as early as this season in September, or as late as 2014. Whenever he arrives, though, he is projected to give pitchers nightmares when he gets on base.

Grade: B+
2011 Outlook: CAL Amateur System
Long-Term Speculation: Leadoff Hitter, Shortstop

Ivan Nova, SP (Yankees)
Round 2 (#36)
After Hamilton was chosen with the team's first pick, it was time to look at the current starting rotation. Well, that was quick as there's not much to look at. Livan Hernandez (36) and John Lackey (32) sit atop the current rotation, which makes us nervous for the future. Enter 24-year old Ivan Nova, who will join the current roster as part of the bullpen from the right side.

Nova quietly (although nothing's quiet in New York) made the Yankees' rotation and is penciled in as the #4 starter when the 2011 season opens. He is currently 2-0, with a 1.80 ERA in 20 innings this Spring.

Grade: B+
2011 Outlook: Middle Reliever
Long-Term Speculation: #3 Starter

Jerry Sands, OF (Dodgers)
Round 3 (#63)
The next spot California was ready to focus on was first base. With Brandon Belt arguably the only real first base prospect ready to make an impact on a club in the near future, the team looked to Sands as a high-risk, moderate reward pick.

Sands' 2011 Spring stats currently sit at .308-2-5 in 26 at-bats. Not bad, but probably not overwhelming enough to make the Dodgers opening day roster. The other issue plaguing Sands (other than his high strikeout totals), is that he's blocked at first and in the outfield. He could wind up at third if Casey Blake misses time or is dealt/retires within the next year or two.

Grade: B-
2011 Outlook: CAL Amateur System
Long-Term Speculation: #6 Hitter, First Base.

Will Ohman, RP (White Sox)
Round 4 (#102)
In every draft, there is a run on relief pitching. Year to year, you're never quite sure who is going to step up and have that breakout, low ERA and WHIP, high strikeout total season. When you get these stats from a lefty, you have to jump at selecting them. In the fourth round, however, all of those relievers are gone, and you're forced to take the next best available guy.

That's exactly where the Roadrunners found lefty specialist Will Ohman. Desperate for some left-handed pitching, Ohman will enter the 2011 season along with Nate Robertson as a middle relief pitcher from the left side.

Grade: B-
2011 Outlook: Middle Reliever
Long-Term Speculation: Primary Lefty Specialist

John Mayberry, Jr. (Phillies)
Round 5 (#126)
Also in every draft, you need to start taking some fliers on guys that may or may not win a starting job. Or even make a ball club out of Spring training. Mayberry's stock rose quickly on the Roadrunner draft board when Phillies' top prospect Domonic Brown was sent to the disabled list. However, he is still competing with Ben Francisco for the job in right field.

Currently, Mayberry is hitting .302 with 5 home runs, 11 RBI, and 4 stolen bases in 63 at-bats. He's getting a long look this Spring, and has a decent shot of making the roster even if he doesn't start. At 27, he'll need to get a significant number of at-bats this season to be considered a keeper for California.

Grade: B-
2011 Outlook: CAL Minor League System
Long-Term Speculation: Situational Outfielder

Wilson Valdez (Phillies)
Round 7 (#174)
Valdez was another claim by the Roadrunners, and another Phillie that moved up the board after Chase Utley went down with an injury. Since the time Valdez was claimed during the draft, another Roadrunner, Luis Castillo, was picked up by Philadelphia to compete against Valdez for the starting job at second base. Still, with 381 adjusted plate appearances at a 2 rating at shortstop, he was difficult to pass up in round 7.

Known more for his defense than his offense, Valdez will provide positional flexibility at short, second, and even third. He'll be called on to pinch-run and for the occasional sacrifice bunt, but is not considered a long-term keeper. He is having a nice Spring, currently hitting .328 for the Phillies (third-best behind Ross Gload and the aforementioned Ben Francisco).

Grade: C+
2011 Outlook: Starting Shortstop vs. Right-Handers
Long-Term Speculation: Infield Defensive Replacement.

Jarrod Dyson (Royals)
Round 8 (#198)
The selection of Jarrod Dyson in round 8 is probably the one that has the organization the most excited. We think we got a real "steal" here, pun intended. Dyson "flew" under everyone's radar as he is not listed as one of the Royals top prospects. However, he is projected as Kansas City's best base runner and defensive player by Baseball America.

Dyson is currently hitting .375 this Spring, and leads the Royals with 7 stolen bases. He is still on the roster as the team's center fielder, even with Melky Cabrera scheduled to start there on opening day. However, Cabrera could be traded as part of an up-and-coming youth movement that includes Dyson in its plans.

Grade: B
2011 Outlook: CAL Minor League System
Long-Term Speculation: Leadoff Hitter, Centerfield

Rich Hill (Red Sox)
Round 9 (#222)
Hill was another one of those fliers that the team took based on Spring training performance. However, this one didn't work out so well. Hill was reassigned to the Red Sox minor league camp to work on his new throwing angle. It's certainly possible that Hill could get called up once he's had more time to perfect his new throwing motion and get comfortable in his new bullpen role.

Grade: C-
2011 Outlook: CAL Minor League System
Long-Term Speculation: Long Reliever

Brent Lillibridge (White Sox)
Round 10 (#246)
Lillibridge, a former top prospect in the Braves organization, was picked up late in the draft based on his speed and the potential to grab a roster spot on the White Sox. Lillibridge is now out of options and will either make the club or be released. That's basically how the Roadrunners feel about him as he will most likely be signed to a long-term deal or be let go after this season. He's currently hitting .239 this Spring, while his competition, Lastings Milledge, his hitting .315. Not good.

Grade: D+
2011 Outlook: CAL Minor League System
Long-Term Speculation: Utility Infielder and Outfielder.

Chris Valaika (Reds)
Round 11 (#270)
Valaika, a former minor league player of the year for the Reds back in 2008, was picked up with the Roadrunners' final pick in the 2011 BRASSball draft. The team was hopeful that he'd win a spot on the Reds' bench, but, like Hill and Lillibridge, it appears that the gambles the Roadrunners took late in the draft will not pay off. While it's possible that Valaika may get recalled by the Reds after the season starts, it will only be to fill a bench spot. If nothing else, the Reds are going to go with Paul Janish as their opening day shortstop after Valaika was sent down... not that Valaika posed a real threat to Janish.

Grade: D-
2011 Outlook: CAL Minor League System
Long-Term Speculation: Utility Infielder