Asheville Tourists

Friedrich named Rockies No. 2 prospect

College Baseball, Minor League Baseball

Christian Friedrich; Photo EKU Sports

Baseball America has ranked EKU alum Christian Friedrich number two on Colorado Rockies top prospects list. Friedrich, who MLB.com named the Rockies minor league pitcher of the year last week, was the Rockies first round pick in 2008 and has excelled in his first two professional seasons. I’ve included his 2009 stats at low A Asheville and high A Modesto below with a snippet of BA analysis from Tracy Ringolsby. You can click the link for the full list but will have to buy a subscription to see the full breakdown of Friedrich and the other top Rockies prospects. (Read more)

#2) LHP Christian Friedrich — EKU — Asheville/Modesto

  • 6-5, 2.41, 119.2 IP, 159 SO/43 BB
  • 22 games started, 94 hits allowed, .215 average against
  • BA: “Friedrich will open 2010 in Double-A Tulsa, where he would have finished last season if the Rockies hadn’t decided to handle him carefully after his elbow problems. If he develops as quickly as he did in 2009, he could make his major league debut by the end of the season.”

Friedrich Ranked Eighth Prospect in MiLB

Minor League Baseball

Christian Friedrich

Baseball America has ranked EKU alum Christian Friedrich number eight on its end-of-season Prospect Hot Sheet.  The final hot sheet ranks the 20 prospects that stood out the most above the field.  Friedrich earned the honor with a 6-5 record, 2.41 ERA and 159 strikeouts in 120 innings between low A Asheville and high A Modesto.

“Friedrich’s most dominating stretch came over three starts at the end of July and early August. He didn’t record a win in any of the games, but struck out 32 and walked six over 17 innings, recording a 0.54 ERA in the process,” BA writes.

Thursday Links: Minor League Edition

Minor League Baseball

Lew Ford

Look for some non-minor league stories this afternoon, but for now here are the minor league headlines to hold you over.

  • Recent Bat addition and former major leaguer Lew Ford hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning to lead Louisville to a 10-6 victory over Columbus.
  • The Asheville Tourists scored four runs in the eighth inning to defeat Lexington 6-2.
  • Anthony Scelfo’s home run paced the Bowling Green offense in a 7-3 victory over Greenville.
  • Former Louisville Cardinal Trystan Magnuson extended his scoreless innings streak to 10 to start his AA career for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
  • The C-J reports that Rick Sweet was named International League manager of the year and Justin Lehr was named IL Pitcher of the Year.
  • Jason Stella at Examiner.com has a Q&A with Chris Heisey.

Tuesday Links: Dydalewicz Wins #8

College Baseball, Minor League Baseball

Brad Dydalewicz

With Louisville’s playoff berth clinched the lead story for the remainder of the minor league regular season will be Lexington first baseman Brian Pellegrini’s quest for the single-season home run record.  Pellegrini was hitless Monday, but the Legends earned a victory.  Check out that story and more in Tuesday’s hot links:

  • Brad Dydalewicz earned his eighth win of the season in Lexington’s 3-2 victory over Greenville.
  • Bowling Green’s game started early Monday for Education Day, but the Hot Rods’ bats slept in during a 7-0 loss to Asheville.
  • Chris Heisey’s ninth home run for Louisville paced the Bats offense in a 7-5 victory over Columbus.
  • UK alum Michael Bertram was named Eastern League player of the week.

Sunday Links: Louisville’s Championship

Minor League Baseball

Bats mascotThe big news of the evening was the Bats’ division title, but that wasn’t the only baseball in the Bluegrass last night.  Check out the division title recap and more stories in some Sunday hot links:

Hunt for September

Minor League Baseball

Louisville Slugger Field

The Legends’ 11-game losing streak has all but eliminated them from playoff contention, but Louisville and Bowling Green remain firmly in the postseason picture.  With that in mind we’ll break down the remaining minor league playoff races.

  • Louisville Bats — 1st place INT West — The Bats are currently 8.5 games ahead of Toledo in the West Division of the International League.  Louisville’s magic number to clinch the division is 11.  The Bats are currently selling playoff tickets for games three through five (if needed) of the first round of the International League playoffs.  If Louisville wins the West Division, the Bats will matchup with the winner of the South Division (currently Gwinnett).
  • Bowling Green Hot Rods — 3rd Place SAL Southern — The Hot Rods’ playoff chances aren’t as rosy as the Bats’ chances, but Bowling Green is still alive.  The Hot Rods currently sit in third place in the South Atlantic League Southern Division, five games behind first-place Asheville.  Augusta is in second place, .5 games behind Asheville and 4.5 games in front of Bowling Green.  Bowling Green’s elimination number is 14.  The Hot Rods have three games remaining against Asheville between Aug. 29-31.

Wednesday Links: Kentucky Starters Dominate

College Baseball, Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball

Jordan Lyles

How about this pitching line for an evening?  18.1 innings pitched, eight hits, two runs, one earned run, 16 strikeouts and eight walks.  That’s the combined pitching line of the three starting pitchers for Kentucky minor league teams Tuesday.  Only one of the pitchers picked up a win, but a 0.50 ERA and 2-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio isn’t bad.

  • Travis Wood picked up the win for Louisville with six innings pitched, six hits, one earned run, three walks and one strikeout against Lehigh Valley.
  • Nick Barnese took a no decision after pitching six and one-third innings and allowing two hits, one unearned run, three walks and eight strikeouts against Greenville.
  • Jordan Lyles also received a no decision, in a 1-0 Legends’ loss to Asheville, after pitching six shutout innings and allowing one hit, two walks and striking out seven.
  • The Legends also dropped the suspended game finished Tuesday night 5-0 to Asheville.  The two losses drop Lexington to 8.5 games out of first place (into a tie for sixth) and may end any hopes of a playoff run for the Legends.
  • UK Athletics has a story about Chris Bisson leading the Cotuit Kettleers to the Cape Cod League championship series.
  • According to BlueJays.com Toronto GM J. P. Ricciardi is still hopeful that the team will sign its first five draft picks before the Monday deadline, including UK pitcher James Paxton.
  • The Columbus Dispatch profiles AAA Indianapolis manager Frank Kembas Jr., an EKU alum and former Cincinnati Reds minor leaguer.
  • LCA alum Robbie Ross surrendered three runs, including an RBI to UofL alum Chris Dominguez, in five innings to earn a no-decision for short-season Spokane.
  • UK alum Ryan Strieby was back in the lineup for AA Erie and playing first base again Tuesday.  Strieby had been out of action since July 20 with a wrist injury.  He went 1-4 with a run scored and a walk in his return.
  • UK alum Sawyer Carroll is 4-12 with a double and a triple in his first four games for AA San Antonio.

Game Time Notes

Minor League Baseball

Travis Wood

Louisville Bats @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs

  • The Bats will send minor-league ERA leader Travis Wood to the mound tonight against the IronPigs.  Wood has a 1.14 ERA between Carolina and Louisville.  Travis is 1-1 with a 2.89 ERA in three starts for Louisville with 13 strikeouts in 18.2 innings pitched.  Wood is finally cashing in on the talent that caused Baseball America to rank him as the third best prospect in the Reds organization in 2006 behind Homer Bailey and Jay Bruce.  Wood has struck out 116 in 137 innings on the season, and opponents are only batting .191 against the lefty.
  • The Bats picked up their 2,000th win since returning to Louisville in 1982 on Sunday.  Louisville was a charter member of the National League in 1876, and the city has had a professional team in all but 20 years since.
  • Bats’ slugger Kevin Barker launched his 22nd home run of the season Monday.  Barker’s 22 home runs are second most in the International League, and his 65 RBI rank fifth in the league.  Barker is batting .321 with three home runs and 10 RBI in eight games in August.
  • The IronPigs will try and earn their first win of the season against Louisville with LHP Brian Mazone on the mound tonight.  Mazone is 1-4 with a 5.16 ERA for Lehigh Valley on the season and is 1-5 with a 6.31 ERA in 20 games this season between the IronPigs and Albany of the AAA Pacific Coast League.  Mazone took the loss in his last start after allowing five runs in four innings against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
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Tuesday Links: Brown SAL Player of Week

College Baseball, Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball

Steve Brown

Legends outfielder Steve Brown was named South Atlantic League player of the week after a week that saw him go 12-28 (.429) with three home runs and 11 RBI.  Check out more on Brown’s honor and other BluGrass Baseball storylines in this mornings hot links:

  • Minorleaguebaseball.com has a breakdown of each league’s player of the week including Brown.
  • The Legends’ game was suspended due to rain with one out in the fifth inning.  Lexington and Asheville will resume that game where it left off at 6:05 p.m. today before playing tonight’s scheduled game which has been shortened to seven innings.
  • Kevin Barker’s home run gave Louisville a 4-3 victory over Lehigh Valley.
  • The “Other Beckham” (Jeremy, Tim’s brother) hit his first professional home run in an 8-4 Bowling Green victory over Greenville.
  • UK second baseman Chris Bisson was 1-6 with two runs scored in the Cotuit Kettleers’ series clinching victory against Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod League semi-finals.  UK pitcher Matt Little surrendered two runs in the game in 2.2 innings of relief for Yarmouth-Dennis.
  • UK baseball has announced a “5-Tool Camp” scheduled for Labor Day weekend.
  • The Associated Press reports that Toronto Blue Jays GM J. P. Riccardi wants MLB to move up the signing deadline for draft picks after the team has failed to sign eight of its first 10 picks, including UK pitcher James Paxton, so far.
  • Here is a piece I wrote for Examiner.com about the top prospects on the Lexington Legends’ roster.
  • EKU alum Christian Friedrich continued his domination of California League opponents by striking out eight in 6.2 innings to lower his ERA to 1.32 and earn his third win in the league.
  • According to Baseball America, the Tigers placed former UK pitcher Scott Green on the 7-day disabled list and the Padres placed former UK pitcher Andrew Albers on the 60-day DL.

Game Time Notes

Minor League Baseball

Micah Owings

Louisville Bats @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs

  • Despite Reds’ manager Dusty Baker’s suggestion that injured starting pitcher Micah Owings might not have to make a rehab start, Cincinnati decided to send Owings to Lehigh Valley tonight for a tuneup with the Bats.  Owings will be the third Red to make a rehab appearance with Louisville this week.  Relief pitcher Jared Burton will take the Reds’ roster spot of recently traded reliever David Weathers today, and outfielder Chris Dickerson will be activated by the Reds in time for Tuesday’s game.  Owings is 6-11 with a 5.35 ERA for the Reds this season.
  • Right-handed pitcher Logan Ondrusek extended his scoreless innings streak to 7.1 to start his Bats’ career.  Ondrusek made his first appearance for Louisville on July 27 and has yet to surrender a run in six games.  Logan began the season with high A Sarasota before being called up to AA Carolina.  Between the three teams, Ondrusek is 4-1 with a 1.23 ERA.
  • Wes Bankston was the offensive star for Louisville in the Bats’ first series against Lehigh Valley this season.  Bankston was 7-16 (.438) with a home run and four RBI in four games against the IronPigs.  Homer Bailey, Sam LeCure, Justin Lehr and Ben Jukich each picked up a win in Louisville’s four-game sweep of Lehigh Valley.
  • The IronPigs will send Drew Carpenter to the mound in the series opener tonight.  Carpenter is 9-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 19 games for Lehigh Valley.  Drew has 94 strikeouts in 119 innings and has held opponents to a .245 batting average.  Carpenter’s 2.72 ERA ranks sixth in the International League.
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