For the first time, the Showcase will also be available to a national television audience. MLB Network will carry a live broadcast of the Rising Stars Game with Diamondbacks announcer Daron Sutton and MLB Network’s Tony Clark in the broadcast booth with a live simulcast streamed on MLB.com.
The Rising Stars Showcase matches prospects from each Major League Baseball organization in an East Division against West Division format. Teams from the AFL’s East Division feature prospects from the Angels, Athletics, Blue Jays, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Giants, Marlins, Nationals, Orioles, Phillies, Pirates, Rays, Red Sox, Rockies and Twins. Players on the West squad will come from the Astros, Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, Dodgers, Indians, Mariners, Mets, Padres, Rangers, Reds, Royals, Tigers, White Sox and Yankees. All 30 organizations will be represented in the game.
“It’s a great opportunity and should be a lot of fun,” said A’s prospect and Phoenix Desert Dogs outfielder Grant Desme, who leads the AFL in home runs and is tied for the lead in RBIs. “I’ll get a chance to play with a bunch of talented guys.”
The game was initially set up to feature a marquee pitching matchup of 2009 first-round Draft picks, with No. 1 overall pick Stephen Strasburg going for East and No. 7 pick Mike Minor taking the hill for the West. Strasburg, however, was scratched from the start with a strained muscle in his neck. Tommy Mendoza was chosen to replace Strasburg, both on the roster and as the starting pitcher. Cubs third base prospect Josh Vitters (replaced by Josh Bell) and Orioles pitcher Brandon Erbe (a replacement will be named later) have also been scratched.
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1. SteveF Posted: November 08, 2009 at 12:39 AM (#3382088)Jose Tabata 2 for 2 in the inning, R and RBI. Geesh, he can fly.
Brandon Allen a 3-run tater to CF off a LHP, surprising and intriguing.
it should be noted that both middle infielders (zawadzaki and triunfel) botched plays on the first two hits, that if they had made, would have ended the inning with minimal damage.
Of two bullets later, one landed just fair and one just foul, so that evened out.
He got dinked early, but then settled in to a good old-fashioned pasting....
Great play there to get Alonso out.
I'm going to assume that it means we're going to get a return to goofy uniforms and lots of zany downfield passing.
Alonso's going to play; the Reds have a lot invested in him. Heisey's future is iffier, because there's another #1 pick (Stubbs) ahead of him - but Heisey's a better player than Stubbs.
Dusty will play young players when they have the level of talent that Votto or Bruce or Alonso has, and I think he'll eventually come around on Heisey, who has a great deal of skill as well even though he's not a #1 pick. Dusty isn't the type to play a younger player who needs time to grow into a position - that's where he tends to prefer a veteran.
-- MWE
And I was thinking - compliment, insult, or a little of both?
Tony did have his moments, for sure...
I don't know, but now I bet I can guess what race Dominic Brown is!
Whats remincisent of Clark with Brown is that he is very tall and they have a similar body type, and Brown hits the ball very hard. But Brown can run and Clark never really could.
As for Clark's "moments", he had a 5 year stretch from 1997-2001 where he averaged a 126 OPS+. And in 2005 he had a dream season with 154 OPS+. Thats more than "moments"
He played 15 years and 1500 games in the major leagues, ending up with a 112 career OPS+ and became one of the most respected men in the game in both the clubhouse and in the community.
If offered that career right now, and that respect among his peers at the end of his career, Dominic Brown would be wise to take it.
Heisey's better than both of them.
-- MWE
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