Minor Matters

Top 10 Words from 2011 - No. 6

2012-02-02T19:42:00.000-05:00

Today's word is: Health

What it means: The Thunder had their fair share of injuries and ailments in 2011, but two stood out: Austin Romine's concussion and manager Tony Franklin's brief hospitalization.

First, Romine's concussion. Before the season, Major League Baseball introduced a new 7-day disabled list for concussions, which signaled the sport's increased level of concern with the injury.

In June, Romine, in his second season as the Thunder's backstop, was plowed over by Altoona designated hitter Travis Scott. He missed three days before the team placed him on the disabled list.

Romine, as directed by the team, kept the injury -- and his symptoms -- quiet.

He eventually returned and in September was summoned to the majors. While at Yankee Stadium in September, he felt that, because enough time had passed, he was free to talk about what he was actually feeling while he was sitting on the DL with his first concussion.

Here's what he said.

"It was a little bit worse than maybe I’d let on, but I’d never had a concussion so I didn’t know what to expect. I was telling you guys the truth every single day. You know that I’m not one to lie. I tell it how it is, I hope I have that track record over the past two years when I was in Trenton.

Yeah, it was a little bit more (severe). I was dizzy for a while, but I just had a lot of trust in Tim Lentych. He’s a very good man, he got me back playing many times through injuries over there through my time in Trenton, so we devised a plan and it ended up working out and I came back when we thought I would."

As for Franklin, the situation was a bit more bizarre.

On May 12, after meeting with the media, filling out the lineup card and doing all of his other managerial duties, the Thunder skipper complained of chest pains and was taken to a local hospital, where it was determined he did not have a heart attack.

Neither the team nor Franklin revealed additional details (though it was speculated that the problems stemmed from a super hot "ghost wing" he had eaten earlier), and he returned in about a week's time.

It was easily the strangest injury I've seen in five years on the beat.

Top 10 Opposing players for 2012: No. 6 - Trevor May

2012-02-01T10:15:00.001-05:00

Last year: After a demotion in 2010 stemming from a bad case of wildness, May re-emerged last year as one of the Phillies' most powerful young arms.

He spent the whole year with the Threshers, going 10-8 with a 3.80 ERA in the process. Over 144.1 innings, May fanned an impressive 208 hitters, best in the minor leagues and good for a K/9 north of a dozen.

On the flip side, he also walked 65 hitters, the fourth most on the circuit, showing that the control/command problems that sidetracked him earlier might not quite be a thing of the past.

What people are saying: Baseball America, which rates May as the top prospect in a Phillies system severely depleted by trades for Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee (twice), Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence, said this about the 22-year-old with the blazing heater.

"Scouts compare May to Chris Carpenter because of his size and swing-and-miss stuff. May's best pitch is his 90-95 mph fastball, which has heavy life and great angle, and he holds his velocity deep into games. He has worked to add a two-seamer to his arsenal, though his high three-quarters arm slot produces natural armside run. He gained consistency with his secondary offerings in 2011, particularly with his changeup."

When you can see him: Reading comes to Trenton July 19-22 and Aug. 7-9.

Thunder announce promotional schedule

2012-01-30T17:59:00.001-05:00

(TRENTON, NJ) - Fans of the Trenton Thunder Minor League Baseball team will take home items such as Thunder themed collectible race cars, pillow cases and clothes hampers at games this season.

The Thunder, the Double A Affiliate of the New York Yankees, released the bulk of its 2012 Promotional Schedule on Monday afternoon in advance of single game tickets going on sale for the first time on Wednesday, Feburary 1.

The slate includes non-traditional promotional giveaways including Thunder-themed Pillow Caseson May 4 thanks to Capital Health (1st 1,000, 5-15). Thunder Clothes Hampers will go to fans on May 24 thanks to Arm & Hammer (1st 1,000, 5-15) and young fans at the game on July 22 will take home a Lil Webkinz doll thanks to NJ Best (1st 1,000, 5-15). Die-Cast Collectible Racing Cars featuring the Thunder logo will go to fans on August 21 thanks to the NJEA (1st 1,000, 5-15).

Sunday, June 3 is going to be an awesome day at the ballpark as Brobee and Muno from Yo Gabba Gabba will be the Thunder's special guests at the game. Both characters will be available for photographs during the game.

The Thunder will host eight Bobblehead Doll giveaways with each one featuring players who have worn the Thunder uniform in their careers. The first will feature Yankees prospect Manny Banuelos thanks to Capital Health on May 11 (1st 2,000, 6+). Later in May, DQ Grill & Chill will present a "Catchers Collectors Series" of "Mini" bobbleheads on consecutive days. Fans will receive Francisco Cervelli on May 21, Jesus Montero on May 22 and Austin Romine on May 23 (each 1st 1,500, 6+). On June 22, Derek Jeter's 2011 rehabilitation appearance will be commemorated with a bobblehead giveaway featuring the Yankees Captain in a Thunder uniform (1st 2,000, 6+) thanks to TD Bank. David Robertson, a 2011 American League All-Star, will be featured on July 6 thanks to Capital Health. Pitcher Ivan Nova will make his Thunder bobblehead debut on July 27 thanks to Hyundai (1st 2,000, 6+). Finally, Arm & Hammer will presentRobinson Cano bobbleheads on August 17 (1st 2,000, 6+).

The 2012 promotional slate is loaded with traditionally popular giveaway items as well. On Opening Night, April 5 as well as April 6, there will be Magnetic Schedules for the first 2,000 fans. Kids Opening Day on April 7 will feature Replica Jerseys thanks to TD Bank (1st 1,000, 5-15), June 1 will be a Thunder Cap giveaway courtesy of RAI (1st 1,500, 6+), June 8 will beBaseball Card Sets thanks to Verizon Wireless (1st 1,500, 6+), July 20 will be Seat Cushions(1st 1,500, 18+) thanks to A-1 Limousine, August 7 will be Sport Bottles (1st 1,000, 18+) thanks to Capital Health, and August 19 will feature Drawstring Backpacks (1st 1,000, 5-15) courtesy of TD Bank.

On April 19, all fans in attendance will receive free hot dogs, hamburgers and cheeseburgers as the popular FREE All-You-Can-Eat Night returns for a third season. A second FREE All-You-Can-Eat Night will be held on Monday, August 27.

Dog-friendly promotions will return to Waterfront Park on Sunday, April 22 with Bark at the Parkpresented by Dogs and Cats Rule. This event allows fans to bring their canines with them to the stadium. On Friday, July 5 dogs are invited once again as the Thunder will celebrate thebirthday of its Golden Retriever, Chase.

As previously announced, the Thunder will host 16 fireworks shows after games in 2012.

Also added to the schedule are a slew of theme nights including Irish Heritage Night (August 11), Polish Heritage Night (June 28), Italian Heritage Night (August 30) and more. Many community events will also be returning to the ballpark including the Third Annual Good Deed Game (July 28) and Community Blood Council of NJ Blood Drives on June 2 and July 28.

PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE

Additional promotions will be announced at later dates.

The 2012 Trenton Thunder season at home on Thursday, April 5 versus New Hampshire. Group tickets, season tickets and ticket packages are on sale now. Single game tickets for the 2011 Trenton Thunder season will go on sale on Wednesday, February 1 at 9:30 am online at trentonthunder.com, by phone at 609-394-3300 or in person at Waterfront Park.

Top 10 Thunder players for 2012 - Chase Whitley

2012-01-19T17:22:00.001-05:00

Bio: Whitley was the Yankees' 15th-round selection in 2010, out of Troy University. He's 22 years old, stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 220 pounds, and made it to Trenton in his first full season. Like future Thunder pitcher Preston Claiborne, he skipped Charleston entirely on the way to the system's upper levels.

2011: Whitley spent the first half of the year with Tampa, where he put up some fantastic numbers, including a 1.68 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of exactly 4-to-1.

Despite the numbers, the scouts I've spoken with regarding Whitley are less than impressed. One who saw him in Tampa said he looked more like a thrower than a pitcher, noting the average fastball and still-developing change-up. Another, who saw him with Trenton, said that, to him, Whitley was "just a guy."

The numbers took a drop once he reached the Thunder, with whom Whitley put up an ERA of 3.38, more than twice what it was with Tampa. Even worse, especially considering his spacious confines at Waterfront Park, his home runs tripled.

What's Next: Whitley will probably return to Trenton to begin 2012, where he will most likely be either the eighth- or ninth-inning guy (the team doesn't like to designate anyone as a "closer" per se).

Top 10 Thunder players from 2011 - No. 6: Josh Schmidt

2012-01-17T15:23:00.002-05:00

Why He's Here: For the third season in a row, Schmidt was one of the Thunder's most valuable relievers. In between trips to Scranton, the side-arming righty put up fabulous numbers, including a 1.83 ERA, a scant 18 hits in 34 1/3 innings, and a nearly 4-to-1 ratio of strikeouts to walks. Basically, when he came in, the opponent was done for.

He didn't allow a run from May 20 until June 5, a stretch of 8 1/3 innings that saw him fan 13 hitters. He failed to record a strikeout in just two of his 24 appearances with the Thunder.

Most Memorable Moment: Because he was so dominant, his most memorable moment was probably his only real failure. I had spent the early part of the afternoon covering Bryce Harper in Lakewood, and I had enough time when I got back to catch the last few innings of the Thunder's game with Binghamton.

The Thunder were ahead by one when I got there, and Schmidt had just cleaned up Pat Venditte's mess in the eighth. In the ninth, however, Schmidt cracked against the meager B-Mets' offense. Brahiam Maldonado reached him for a single, which Allan Dykstra followed with a home run over the right-field wall. The blast gave the B-Mets the lead, and eventually the win.

It also cost Carlos Silva his only chance for a Double-A win all year. Somewhere, he still weeps about this. Also notable from this game, Ray Kruml's first homer of the year and Jose Pirela's first double.

Outlook for 2012: Currently, Schmidt is unemployed. Given his status in the organization and Triple-A's predicament for this season, I'd be shocked if he re-signed with the Yankees.

10 Minutes with Kevin Long

2012-01-16T16:51:00.000-05:00

Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long was at the Princeton Charter School this afternoon for part of his series of clinics with kids throughout the northeast. The clinic lasted four hours (though I had to leave early) and imparted swing mechanics to about 80 kids through easy-to-understand fundamentals and drills.

Before the event began, I sat down to discuss the event, as well as a bit of Yankees-related stuff. Here's what he had to say.

Josh Norris: With whom have you worked this offseason?

Kevin Long: I just met with Andruw Jones and Alex Rodriguez. I have seen Brandon Laird, Jesus Montero -- who we just traded -- Francisco Cervelli, a kid named Austin Romine. Swisher and I have talked quite a bit. Russell Martin and I are going to do some work in Arizona. Granderson and Cano I've talked to ... I've seen pretty much everybody. The good part about getting ready to start my sixth season is I don't have to spend as much offseason time with these guys, so that's kind of cool.

JN: You mentioned a couple of guys who I'd like to talk about a little bit more. Obviously you just traded Montero, but there's still a lot of interest out there. How does he generate so much success from such an unorthodox-looking stance and swing?

KL: When I break down the absolutes of the swing, the absolutes are all there. As awkward as it may look, it's very functional. And what he does really, really good is he lets the ball travel and can hit the ball the other way a long, long way. A lot of that is his physique and his physical ability, but he's got the ability to let it travel and then to explode and (have) the ball just go to right field. It's funny, because when he pulls the ball he tends to get topspin, so it's almost (like) his swing is geared to go to right field and it really helps him.

JN: If going to right field were something he were deficient in, how would you teach it to him?

KL: First of all, you work within their strengths. His strength is what? Going the other way. So you don't get too far away from that at any time. His deficiencies -- places that pitchers can exploit -- would be inside, so we started to work on that last year, and then had talked about part of his routine this year being to work on that. We were gaining on that, but at this point he's been traded, and I wish him the very best.

JN: Going to another catcher, Romine. I've seen his swing for a couple of years, and what I've noticed is the really big leg kick. If you were to build a swing from scratch, is a leg kick something you would incorporate?

KL: His leg kick is now officially gone. That's something he worked on when he got called up in September, and we worked diligently to get that out of there. He feels really, really good about it being gone. He used it a little bit when he came up to the big leagues, and it's just to hard to manage a leg kick. His was, I hate to say out of control, but it was really, really high and really violent, and that's hard to play at the big league level.

JN: When you see Alex Rodriguez get out of whack, a lot of people will attribute that to the leg kick getting too exaggerated. Is that the same thing with Romine?

KL: Yeah. Any time you do something with your front foot, whether it be stride, whether it be just a heel trigger or just a leg kick, it's got to be controlled, and when A-Rod gets out of whack, it's because his leg kick is too high and too violent.

JN: What do players say when you're trying to remove it? Can they give you a reason as to why they do it in the first place?

KL: It's to break inertia. It's to give them a little rhythm with their swing. Some people need more than others. A-Rod originally got his leg kick so that he could stay back. It kind of kept him back where, if he did it any other way, he would tend to go forward. It helps him keep his weight where it needs to be and stay centered, but again, he's very cognitive of the thought process of small leg kick, under control, so that he can be more efficient.

JN: How long is it going to take a kid who's had something like that in his swing for a while to get it out of there, and how long is it going to take him to feel comfortable doing it another way?

KL: It's not necessarily that you have to take it out, it's that you have to get it under control. Instead of being maybe where the leg kick goes up to their elbow on their front side, we might reduce that to half that distance. If we can go half that distance and then go up and down, it'll take them a little time to get the feel for it. First of all they've got to understand why they're doing it, and if it doesn't make sense then they shouldn't do it. And if it does make sense, (you have to give) them the understanding that it's going to help them, and then you've got to come up with drills that can help them get that feel.

JN: How do you teach plate discipline, which seems to be something that involves a lot more mental work than it does physical work?

KL: It's a process. Robinson Cano when I first had him walked 17 times in seven-hundred-and-something at-bats. He's walking 50 times a year now. It's still an everyday process. I'll take him in the office and 'Look at your last 17 swings, 14 of them have been out of the zone. Let's get back in the strike zone.' And you're a little bit firm with him, a little bit tough, but he's already seen the rewards of swinging at strikes. His home runs went up, his RBIs go up and his average goes up, so the biggest thing is to keep on pointing out that they're swinging at pitches that are out of the zone.

JN: I brought up plate discipline to bring up Jorge Vazquez, who's gotten a lot of ink since the Montero trade as a possible in-house candidate as the designated hitter. How do you teach him to lay off the bad stuff, and what kind of big-league impact do you think he could have this year?

KL: I don't know. I couldn't tell you. I know that he had a very good year in Scranton, a lot of home runs, but he hit .250. Two-fifty in Triple-A is probably equivalent to .200 in the big leagues, so does that warrant him getting called up? I'm not so sure. Is he a big swing-and-miss guy? Is his strike-zone discipline not where it needs to be? Those are things that our minor league guys are going to have to evaluate and stay on top of.

When I get Jorge one of the first things that we're going to talk about is, 'Listen, we've got to get better about staying in the strike zone.' He's getting as much of that in the minor leagues as I was going to give him in the big leagues, and we'll kind of see how this plays out, but I'm excited to have him in our system and I hope he continues to get better and we'll see what happens.

Montero for Pineda -- my thoughts

2012-01-14T00:54:00.001-05:00

The Yankees got better Friday night -- in both the short and long terms -- and it may have cost them dearly to do so. They dealt Jesus Montero, who showed the world in September and October exactly what a young slugger looks like, for Michael Pineda, Seattle's towering flamethrower.

Physically, Pineda resembles Dellin Betances, one of the Yankees' prized young hurlers. He also throws a tick harder than Betances, but controls his stuff much, much better. He also features a slider as his out pitch, whereas Betances uses a big hook to get his whiffs.

I love this deal -- for both sides.

For the Yankees it adds a young, cost-controlled starter who looked great last year and has potential to get better as he matures and gains consistency. Pineda turns 23 on Wednesday, had one of the hardest average fastballs in the league last year, and struck out the most hitters of any rookie in the big leagues. He wasn't Felix, but he was a commodity, period.

So it's not surprising that it took a great deal to pry him from the Mariners, and that great deal came in the form of Montero, whom a scout I spoke with earlier this month compared to Miguel Cabrera, and Hector Noesi, one of the Yankees cadre of potential back-end starters.

If you're a Yankees fan, losing Montero hurts. A lot. He didn't just show power in his short stint in the Bronx, he showed power to all fields. For his first trick, he pushed a pair of Jim Johnson fastballs well into the right-field bleachers at Yankee Stadium. As an encore, he pulled a Jered Weaver heater into the left-field stands in Los Angeles. And to top it all off he added another opposite-field bomb off of Junichi Tazawa to help push the Red Sox farther back in their race for the playoffs.

Also, he didn't exactly look overmatched in the Yankees' brief playoff appearance, either, for what that's worth.

I have no doubt that Montero's going to be a top-of-the-stack hitter, but the Yankees have offense to spare, and good hitters come up each year on the free agent market. Look at next year, particularly toward the AL West, where Mike Napoli and Josh Hamilton are free agents. Heck, Carlos Pena is out there now, and could provide a good deal of pop in place of Montero.

Finding a good, young, cheap arm, however, is decidedly more difficult, and that's exactly what the Yankees did tonight.

Future Thunder Q & A - Mark Montgomery

2012-01-13T17:49:00.003-05:00

Earlier today I spoke with Mark Montgomery, the Yankees 11th-round choice from last year and one of the system's fastest risers. He fanned an incredible 51 hitters in 28 1/3 innings, including five in his first inning as a Charleston RiverDog. You can read all about that outing here.

The Yankees plucked him from Longwood University, where pitching came as sort of a happy accident. Here's what Montgomery, @SnapDragonMonty on Twitter, who could wind up in Trenton by midseason, had to say to me.

Josh Norris: For those of us who haven't seen you, self included, tell me a little bit about what you throw and what kind of pitcher you are.

Mark Montgomery: I got drafted as a closer. I was a reliever this season in Staten Island then got called up and wound up relieving for Charleston. Right now I just throw a fastball and a slider. My change-up right now is a work in progress, I guess we'll see when that develops and (gets) put into the repertoire, but right now and this past season it's been fastball-slider.

JN: How often did you get to throw the change-up, if at all, this season?

MM: When I first got down there, they immediately thought I was going to have to add it in, but as the season went along and I did pretty well, I pretty much just played catch with it a lot, just getting a feel for it. I actually threw it in bullpens and bullpens before games, but never threw it in an actual game.

JN: Had you thrown it before you converted to the bullpen, because I know you were a starter early on in college before moving to the bullpen and eventually the closer's role?

MM: I had a change-up when I was a starter my freshman year at school (Longwood University). Once I was pushed to the back of the bullpen becoming a closer I did away with that, but when I first started I had a change-up.

JN: Are they teaching you a different change-up, or are you just re-learning the same one from college?

MM: The one I had. They had me show them the one I threw (a circle change-up) and I got a hang of it really quickly, so we're going to stick with that one.

JN: Who taught you how to throw the slider, because it's gotten pretty rave reviews both inside and out of the system?

MM: I can't really think of anyone who taught me. Up until probably my senior year I'd thrown a 12-to-6 (curveball) and went to a showcase and I was sitting down talking to some people. They pretty much just told me 'You need to tighten up that breaking ball,' and the harder it is, obviously, the more effective it's going to be. I just switched up the grip a little bit and found the grip I'm comfortable with, and it's been effective.

JN: What did you do when trying to refine it and how to control its break and depth?

MM: I played catch with it and just kind of toyed around until I found a grip that felt was the most effective to throw it and just stuck with it.

JN: What's the difference in learning how to control the break on the slider and learning to control the break on the 12-to-6 curve?

MM: I think it's just two different types of pitches. The slider's pretty much become my out pitch, so I want to make it as sharp and as hard as I can. Obviously earlier in the count I want to throw it for strikes, so I'll take a little bit off it.

JN: So, when you were in college, you said they pushed you to the back of the bullpen. Why was that decision made?

MM: When I originally went to school, it was to be an infielder. My first couple of games I actually played infield, and then I just had a random spot start against Richmond and did pretty well. I think I ended up starting three or four more games and started getting into relief so I could throw more often.

My freshman and sophomore years was when my arm strength picked up and I started to gain some velocity and the strikeouts started coming more and more. That's when they decided that being in the back of the bullpen and being the closer was probably the best option.

JN: So when you got to college, then, you didn't expect to be a pitcher? That was just something that happened?

MM: I threw a good amount my junior and senior year in high school, but most schools -- I guess it was half and half -- some schools wanted me to pitch and some schools wanted me to play in the field. Longwood actually wanted me to play infield -- I played a little bit of outfield my freshman year -- so I really throw much in the fall of my freshman year.

(My debut) was a spot, needed-a-start kind of thing and I threw well that day, and then after that it was pretty much just pitching from there on.

JN: At what point during that process did you think, hey, this could be a permanent thing?

MM: I swung the bat a couple of more times after that first start and then I started seeing some success (on the mound) and I played in the summer league, I pretty much knew I wasn't going to hit anymore.

JN: Now you've completed that transition and moved to the back of the pen and become a closer, can you remember the first time you blew a save?

MM: The first time I blew a save was probably my freshman summer, I think. I think it was a doubleheader actually, and I think were up by one. Most times when you're going to blow a save you walk a guy, and I walked a guy. They pushed him over, so they had one out and had gotten him over (into scoring position). The next guy fisted a ground ball to the right side and they scored to tie it. I think we might have ended up winning the game, but that was probably the first blown save I had.

JN: How did you deal with that mentally? Closers are supposed to have that special mentality, but I'd imagine it takes time for that to develop.

MM: It was tough, because it was my job to secure the win, obviously, for the team. All in all, you've got to learn from your mistakes. Probably the biggest thing I took away from that was you've got to get ahead of guys, and especially throwing that ninth inning you can't walk people, because you're essentially giving them free bases. Most of the time you walk a guy in the ninth -- or the first time -- he's probably going to get around to score. It's all about learning from your failures, I guess.

JN: Was there someone on the staff, maybe, who helped you deal with that first failure?

MM: Everywhere I've played I've learned to be kind of a sponge and take in information from everyone I'm around, so it's been a mixture of everyone, I guess.

JN: So this year, obviously, you had a lot of success, probably more success than anyone -- Yankees included -- could have imagined so soon. What did you take from this year?

MM: The biggest to me in playing pro ball was that it's a grind, which is expected with so many games and all. The biggest to me, learning, was consistency and learning to find a routine that works for you. You can't really get too high or too low in between all these games, so I had to do something. I found a routine that I stuck to and I did day in and day out that really kept me even keel, I guess.

JN: In the midst of all that success, have you found something that you can get away with in college that you can't get away with in pro ball?

MM: My first outing (in Staten Island), I didn't do too well. That's just from being in college and trying to throw it by guys, not spotting up. Location's big at the next level, and just being able to throw to both sides of the plate consistently, I think. In college, I could kind of just set the catcher up outside and just keep pounding the plate, but you really have to be able to throw inside effectively at this level as well.

JN: You were one of the very few members of this year's draft class not to be part of the Yankees instructional league. Why was that?

MM: I think the (reason) I heard was from the amount of innings. I threw close to 30 innings, and I think they were just trying to let my arm rest and not really wear it out early.

JN: So with you're first pro spring training a few months away, what are your goals for the season?

MM: Just improve in everything. You can get better every day. I just want to get around some of the older guys and pick their brains and hear what they have to say. All in all I feel I can improve in every aspect of my game, whether it's mentally, physically, spotting up, arm strength, just preparing for the game all in all.

Top 10 words from the 2012 season - No. 7

2012-01-12T12:28:00.002-05:00

Today's word is: Strikeouts

What it means: There were many, many reasons the Thunder's season took a sharp, late spike, not the least of which involved an alarming propensity to strike out.

- Cody Johnson whiffed 138 times in just 74 games.

- Melky Mesa missed 37 games and still fanned 129 times.

- Brad Suttle missed 56 games and racked up 108 Ks.

- Rob Lyerly fanned 93 times in a scant 68 games

In all, Thunder hitters struck out 1,195 times, 27 more than Binghamton, the league's second worst. Of players with 200 or more plate appearances, the Thunder had four of the seven worst. Johnson struck out 43 percent of the time, Lyerly 32 percent, Mesa 29.8 percent and Suttle 28.7 percent of the time.

As a result of all the whiffing, the Thunder had the league's fourth-worst OBP (.325), its fifth-worst slugging percentage (.380) and its fourth-worst OPS (.705). And, in the end, it was a major reason why they failed to reach the playoffs after a scorching first four months.

Interview with John Manuel - Question No. 4

2012-01-11T16:07:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month, I spoke with John Manuel of Baseball America. Manuel's the man behind ranking the Yankees' top 10 prospects, which were released (in e-magazine form) late last month. During an hourlong interview, I asked him about a number of different topics relating to this year's rankings. Because the chat was so lengthy, I'm going to make a post out of each question. It's more easily digestible that way.

Question 4: You've mentioned the innings cap (earlier in the conversation). Do you think the Yankees do their kids a disservice with such conservative workloads?

John Manuel: The Yankees know their pitchers better than I do, but to me it'd have to be individualized, so I think an innings cap doesn't make sense, period. ... I think everybody's different.

Jhoulys Chacin of the Rockies is a great example of a guy who, I don't even think the Rockies knew or thought he was that good of a prospect ... I don't think he threw more than 170 innings in either of his two full minor league seasons. I've always thought that it made more sense for a guy to throw.

If you want a player to be able to make a contribution in the major leagues, he's got to be able to pitch a full minor league season and be able to throw 150 innings or so in the minor leagues before he can go to the major leagues. I think Ivan Nova was a good example of that. In his 2010 year, he had 40 innings in the big leagues and he'd thrown 145 in the minors, so he was ready for a full big league load. He'd thrown 180 innings, so he's an example.

I think that's more innings than the Yankees usually let their minor league guys throw. A) That's one of the reasons why I was the low man on Nova, because I thought the Yankees didn't think that highly of him because they let him throw that many innings. And B) I think it prepared him for a full big league season, and they never did that with Joba and they never did that with Phil Hughes, and I think it's been to their detriment.

I won't say they do them a disservice, but I do think it has made it harder for young Yankees starting pitchers to hit the big league ground running.

John Manuel: Were you there for the year (in Trenton) when Phil Hughes had the five-inning limit?

Josh Norris: No. I was still in college.

John Manuel: That was kind of crazy. He was clearly dominant and they limited him, and I don't think it helped him. He's had some big league success. I'm not sure that it's causation that you can say, because he was handled this way, he hasn't been as successful in the major leagues.

I guess the best way to put it is that there are people in the industry who I've talked to about that, and they think that that could be a factor. It's not like it doesn't get noticed that the Yankees are very careful with their minor league pitchers, but that's more of the industry norm now than out of the norm, but that's starting to change.

You see teams like the Rangers and the Diamondbacks are little more open-minded about it than they used to be, but usually you see guys, like even an Ian Kennedy, his one full season in the minors was 140-150 innings, and that was pretty much it. The Yankees don't generally let those guys throw more than 150 innings, and that's what's going to happen with Betances and Banuelos. They're going to have to be more efficient even to get to 150. They haven't even been efficient enough to get to 150.

Top 10 opposing players for 2012 - No. 7 Robbie Grossman

2012-01-11T13:04:00.000-05:00

Bio: Pittsburgh's second-rounder from 2008, Grossman's name is just beginning to catch a star. He stands 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, is 22 years old, and attended Cy-Fair High School, in Cypress, Texas. He received a cool $1 million from the Pirates to bypass the University of Texas.

2011: After putting up solid but unremarkable stat lines over his first three seasons in Pittsburgh's system, Grossman broke out in 2011. He posted a .293/.418/.450 slash line with a 13 home runs 56 RBIs and 24 stolen bases in 34 tries. He also became the first minor leaguer in seven years (Nick Swisher) to walk 100 times and score 100 runs.

A switch hitter, Grossman hit .326/.441/.442 versus lefties, and .281/.410/.455 versus righties. For what it's worth, he had just one extra-base hit in 32 at-bats against Tampa pitching last season with Bradenton.

What People Are Saying: Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus named him his No. 6 Pirates prospect; Baseball America put him at No. 8 on their list. Here's what Goldstein wrote about him over at BP.

"Grossman is technically a five-tool prospect, yet one without a plus tool. He showed a much simpler swing in 2011 and a better feel for contact. He has enough pop to earn average power grades. He's a 50-55 runner who can steal a base when given the opportunity, plays a good outfield, and has a solid arm. It's not a tool, but one of Grossman's most valuable attributes is his plate discipline; he led the minor leagues with 104 walks and rarely commits to a bad pitch."

When You Can See Him: Altoona comes to Trenton July 31-Aug. 2 and Aug 20-22.

Top 10 Trenton Thunder players for 2012 - No. 7: Dan Burawa

2012-01-10T17:20:00.000-05:00

Bio: Burawa was the Yankees' 12th round selection, a right-handed relief pitcher from St. John's University. He's 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, 23 years old. and grew up a Yankees fan. You can find him on Twitter at @dannyburawa.

I did a small write-up on Burawa this season, which you can read by following this link.

Last year: Burawa started last year in Charleston, where he paired with fellow 2010 draftee Tommy Kahnle to form a powerful back end of the RiverDogs bullpen. Both pitchers showed they can light up a radar gun, but only Burawa showed control.

That sense of the strike zone earned him a promotion to Tampa at the end of June, where he regressed a little from his performance in Charleston, but was still solid nonetheless.

With Charleston: 3-2, 44.2 IP, 3.63 ERA, 36 H, 21 R, 18 ER, 6 HR, 35 SO, 15 BB

With Tampa: 2-2, 3.66, 39. 1 IP, 41 H, 18 R, 16 ER, 0 HR, 31 SO, 9 BB -- .339 vs. RHB/.228 vs. LHB

Here's what one scout had to say about Burawa:

"He's got a chance to be a bullpen guy for sure, I mean a legit arm. I'm not sure it's as a closer, but he's got a chance to be a legitimate bullpen guy, at the very least a good set-up man."

What's Next: Burawa will probably begin the year in Trenton, where he'll form a strong bullpen with Chase Whitley, Preston Claiborne, Grant Duff and Josh Romanski.

Thunder announce staff additions, promotions for 2012

2012-01-09T16:15:00.003-05:00

(Trenton, NJ)- The Trenton Thunder, the Double A affiliate of the New York Yankees, have announced several promotions and additions to the Front Office Staff in preparation for the 2012 season that will begin on April 5 at home against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

The Thunder welcome four new employees and have promoted nine from within as the organization moves forward after a year that saw a 5% increase in attendance per game.

“I rank our staff with any in Minor League Baseball. In a business that has annual turnover, we’ve done an outstanding job of adding talented staff members to those positions that have vacancies while keeping a core group of employees intact," said Thunder General Manager Will Smith. "We continue to educate seasonal staff members to give them the tools to become full-time employees. It’s a great business, and we have a tremendous staff. "

"I cannot wait for Opening Day on April 5^th to continue to show our fans how hard our staff works throughout the off-season to prepare 71 events for their entertainment,” Smith added.

The staff changes begin with Jeff Hurley who has been promoted to Director, Finance/Baseball Operations. Jeff, who grew up in Hamilton, NJ, was an intern with the Thunder in 2004. He joined the full time ticket sales staff the following year and from 2007-2011 was the Accounting Manager and the team's baseball operations liason with the New York Yankees.

East Windsor, NJ resident Greg Lavin has been elevated to Director, Creative & Audiovisual Services. He joined the Thunder in 2005 as a Production Department Intern and is responsible for all aspects of game day fan entertainment including in-game promotions, music and videos as well as producing print items such as brochures and other marketing pieces.

The Thunder are pleased to welcome Patrick McMaster as the Director, Corporate Partnerships and Business Development. Patrick, a native of Hanover, PA, has spent the last seven years working in Minor League Baseball including his most recent stop as the Assistant General Manager of Sales for the Charlotte Stone Crabs (Class A, Florida State League).

Bobby Picardo, who began his career as a Thunder intern in 2009, has been promoted to Ticket Sales Manager. Bobby, who grew up in Atlanitc Highlands, NJ, will sell new group and ticket packages, coordinate the Baseball Camp & High School Baseball series as well as help oversee the team's internship program.

Nate Schneider, who joined the Thunder in 2011, has been promoted to Group Sales Account Executive. The native of Pottsville, PA spent 2010 working for the Reading Phillies and will sell various group and hospitality options to businesses and community groups.

Millstone Township, NJ's Caitlin Reardon has been promoted to Ticket Sales Account Executive for the 2012 season. Caitlin was a Thunder game day employee from 2006-2008, worked full time for Sky Blue FC of Women's Professional Soccer for 2009 and 2010 and then rejoined the Thunder last year. In her new role, she will coordinate the team's Most Improved Student and School Music Awards Programs and sell ticket packages, while also monitoring the team's presence on Twitter.

Jennifer Murphy, a native of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts has made the transition from Merchandise Assistant to Business Development Executive for 2012. Jennifer spent last season helping manage the Thunder Company Store and will focus on selling season tickets, ticket packages and group outings to local businesses this season.

Jeremy Sanders, who grew up in Scotch Plains, NJ and Caracas, Venezuela, worked as a Ticket Sales Intern for the Thunder in 2011. He has joined the staff full time as a Ticket Sales Account Representative where he will sell ticket packages and serve as a team liason to the local Spanish-speaking community.

Chris Kiernan has joined the Thunder as a Seasonal Group Sales Account Representative. Chris, a native of Lacey, NJ, spent the 2011 season as a Ticket Sales Assistant with the Lakewood BlueClaws (Class A, South Atlantic League) and will coordinate group outings at the ballpark for companies and community organizations.

Lindsey Ravior of Minotola, NJ, has been brought on as a Seasonal Group Sales Account Representative. Lindsey spent last season working in the Ticket Department for the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Class A, Carolina League).

Two members of the 2011 Trenton Thunder Internship Program, Jess Ridolfino of Crosswicks, NJ and Kevin Ertel of Brick, NJ have joined the Front Office Staff for next season. Jess will serve as a Ticket Sales Intern while Kevin will serve as Group Sales Coordinator.

Rounding out the staff changes is the hiring of Breanne O'Neill as Merchandise Assistant. Breanne, from Yardley, PA, is a June 2011 graduate of Drexel University.

The Thunder Front Office now includes ten people who served as interns for the organization. These include Hurley, Lavin, Picardo, Reardon, Sanders, Ridolfino and Ertel above as well as Director of Ticket Operations Matt Pentima, Stadium Operations Manager Steve Brokowskyand Group Sales Account Executive T.J. Jahn. FULL STAFF LIST

The 2012 Trenton Thunder season will begin on Thursday, April 5 against New Hampshire. Season Tickets, Group Tickets, Pic-A-Plans and Mini Plans are all on sale now at trentonthunder.com.

Top 10 Thunder players from 2011 - No. 7: Austin Krum

2012-01-09T15:40:00.001-05:00

Why He's Here: Krum had two distinct stretches with the Thunder. The first lasted from Opening Day until May 20, and the second spanned from Aug. 4 until season's end. He provided valuable experience to an otherwise green team, added an element of speed on the bases and played excellent defense in both left and center field.

Here's how his two terms in Trenton broke down:

Stretch 1: .242/.348/.293, 6 2B, 3B, 0 HR, 13 RBIs, 14 SB, 0 CS

Stretch 2: .273/.328/.405, 4 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 17 RBIs, 5 SB, 3 CS

Most Memorable Moment: See that triple during the Krum's first stint? That was one of the crazier triples you'll ever see, because half the players on the field thought it was a home run. For a clearer look, here's a link to the game story from that day.

In a nutshell, Krum's long fly ball to right field hit the top of the wall and bounced back into play. The hit won the game, but it wasn't easy. The winning runner, Addison Maruszak, as well as third-base coach Justin Pope, thought the ball had left the yard. Both men realized the ball was in play very late, and Maruszak barely beat the throw home.

Aside from Jeanmar Gomez's perfect game a few years ago, it was the craziest end to a game I've seen at Waterfront Park.

Outlook for 2012: Krum's case for 2012 is interesting. On merit, he should be at Triple-A, but Cole Garner, DeWayne Wise, Kevin Russo, Dan Brewer, Ray Kruml and Chris Dickerson all could make the same case. Similarly, the Trenton outfield could easily filled without Krum. Zoilo Almonte, DeAngelo Mack and Melky Mesa would do the trick. With that in mind, I wouldn't be surprised to see Krum reduced to a fourth outfielder's role or wind up "injured" for most of the year.

Top 10 unpublished interviews from 2011 - No. 8

2012-01-06T12:45:00.002-05:00

One of the Yankees' brightest young pitching prospects, Dellin Betances started the year at Trenton before finally getting a chance to show his stuff at the major league level in September.

It wasn't the greatest debut in the world, but he finally got a chance to get his feet wet in the world of major league baseball. I caught up with Betances at Yankee Stadium in late September in the Bronx. Here's what he had to say.

Josh Norris: It probably wasn't the way you wanted to debut, but was it at least nice to finally get that notch on your belt?

Dellin Betances: Yeah. First one out there, I definitely got emotions going and adrenalin. I was just throwing mostly -- I didn't really pitch. You know, I was happy to get the first one out of the way. Family was here, a lot of people supporting me and had my back after the game.

JN: Did your family know you were coming into that game, or did they just buy tickets every day and hope you got a chance?

DB: I had a feeling, just the way the game was going. I didn't know I was necessarily pitching that day, but they came to every game.

JN: When you were here last year at this time (for the Yankees' rookie development camp), what did you learn that helped you this time around?

DB: Just the way everything works, just how to go about your business and work. Be responsible, responsibility -- that's most of what I learned.

JN: Who taught you guys? Who sat with you and explained what it's like in the big leagues?

DB: Last year, if I recall, I tried to stay as much as I can with some of the rookies, like Nova was here, Nunez, but as far as veterans like CC. I spoke to CC pretty good, and Mariano Rivera. Those guys just told me some stuff about how to approach the game and always try to have fun.

JN: If I'm correct, this is your first time being active during a Yankees-Red Sox game, what's the first taste of the rivalry like?

DB: It's great. This is what I always watched when I was younger. To be a part of this is awesome. I've witnessed the last week or so in the time I've been here and I've seen some great things, like Mariano breaking the record and us clinching the division.

I've seen (Yogi Berra and Reggie Jackson) around the last couple of days. This is awesome, I mean, as far as Reggie Jackson goes, these are guys you always hear about -- Yogi Berra -- how they were treated here in New York, what they did here and the championships they won. Now, to be here with Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, these are guys that always play when I watch when I was younger, so it's pretty cool to be with them.

JN: You were around for the Yankees clinching the division. As someone who'd only been up for a little while, what was it like being a part of all that?

DB: It was awesome. It was pretty weird because I felt like I didn't do anything for that. It was pretty weird, but I tried to celebrate as much as I can with them and just know that this is something that I want to get used to and just try to contribute this year.

JN: Where were you when you found out you were coming up?

DB: I was in Scranton. Right after the game, Scott Aldred just pulled a couple of us aside. Honestly, I really didn't believe it. It started hitting me when I flew into Anaheim, Orange County. I really couldn't believe what was going on.

JN: As a New Yorker, had you seen much of the West Coast before?

DB: I've been to San Diego, that's about it. San Diego when I was 15 to play youth league for a couple of weeks, but Orange County's beautiful. It was great, and Toronto was a good experience too.

Interview with John Manuel - Question 3

2012-01-06T11:45:00.001-05:00

Question: Last season, Baseball America ranked Dellin Betances ahead of Manny Banuelos on its Top 10 list. What changed this year that caused the flip-flop?

John Manuel: Last year, that was really, strongly, the opinion of the organization, inside the organization, was that they liked Betances more than Banuelos. That was very strongly put across to me last year.

A big part of it is that every year we start with an eastern division, one year it's the AL East, the next year it's the NL East. Last year, we started with the American League East, so the Yankees were one of the first teams we did. I did that ranking in October. ... When I was at the Winter Meetings (after the Prospect Handbook was finalized), I think the industry consensus would have been that Banuelos was ahead of Betances. If I had it to do in December, I would have put Banuelos over Betances.

Really, coming into the year, in my head, Banuelos was ahead of Betances, even though last October it was the other way around. They basically had the same kind of year, and I think the industry consensus will tell you that clubs would take the left-hander in that situation. Most clubs would take the guy who's more of a normal size as opposed to the beast. Most guys would take the guy who has a delivery that should allow him to throw more strikes.

That said, I still have -- even outside the organization -- scouts that I've talked to have kind of liked Betances more than Banuelos over the years, just because he has bigger stuff. They both have one similar drawback, and that's they both had health issues -- obviously, Banuelos hasn't been cut on like Dellin has -- but I think Banuelos' walk rate was surprising this year, not what you'd expect from a compact, pretty good delivery left-hander. I really don't get a good answer on why his walk rate was what it was this year.

Some guys say he rushed his delivery, some guys say it's not being consistent -- a mental focus kind of issue -- I didn't get a consistent answer inside or outside the system as to why he struggled to throw consistent, quality strikes this year. I think people expect him to do that more than Betances down the line. Younger, left-handed, a delivery that's more conducive to throwing quality strikes, those are all good reasons to rank Manny Banuelos ahead of Dellin Betances.

Top 10 words from last season - No. 8

2012-01-05T12:04:00.001-05:00

Today's word is: Mania

What it means: When the 2010 season ended with Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos on the roster, it was very clear that, barring something strange, the Thunder were going to house the Yankees' top two pitching prospects in 2011.

The winter came and went, and both pitchers remained in pinstripes. In an offseason interview with me, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman even went so far as to say that those two pitchers were who Thunder fans should look out for in 2011.

Then came spring training, and Banuelos made the best of his chance to open everybody's eyes. He stuck in big league camp until the very end, putting on impressive outing after impressive outing, the crown jewel of which came in a start against, of all teams, the Red Sox.

Fans and the media clamored for Banuelos to make the jump north with the Yankees, either as the team's fifth starter or a lockdown lefty out of the bullpen. Still, he was only 20 (and won't be 21 until March), and needed far more refinement than he showed in spring.

After the pair were both reassigned to minor league camp, both were sent to Trenton, as expected. Thus, when each pitcher started, a load of attention was directed toward New Jersey's capital city. People wanted pitch counts, ball-strike breakdowns, and any update possible when Betances or Banuelos took the hill.

Even after they left Trenton late in the season, the mania followed them. After Banuelos' first start in Scranton -- which Brian Cashman and Billy Eppler attended -- the media at his locker following the game rivaled just about anything I've ever seen at Yankee Stadium.

Unless they're included in a trade this offseason, they're both likely to be back in Scranton's* rotation to start 2012, and where they go, the mania is sure to follow.

Yankees sign three to minor league deals

2012-01-04T15:53:00.001-05:00

As reported by Baseball America's Matt Eddy, who's really good at this sort of stuff, the Yankees have signed RHP Adam Miller and OFers Cole Garner and DeWayne Wise.

Miller finally got back on the mound in 2011, after missing the entirety of the 2009 and 2010 seasons. He spent most of his year with Double-A Akron, where he went 1-4 with a 6.27 ERA over 23 games and 33 innings. He allowed 43 hits (but no longballs) and had a ghastly WHIP of 1.79.

Garner, 27, made his major league debut this year, playing in four games with the Rockies. He got his first of two big league hits on July 8, a single off of John Lannan. He added a second hit six days later, an infield single off of former Yankees reliever LaTroy Hawkins.

Wise, besides saving Mark Buehrle's perfect game, has cobbled together a .219/.256/.373 line over 445 career major league games. Of his 22 career longballs, seven have come against past and present Yankees, including Carl Pavano (twice), CC Sabathia, Kerry Wood, Alfredo Aceves, Kyle Farnsworth and Jeff Weaver.

Of those three, I'd expect only Miller would see significant time with the Thunder this season.

Top 10 opposing players for 2012 - No. 8: Bryce Brentz

2012-01-04T14:53:00.000-05:00

Bio: Boston's first supplemental first-rounder from 2010, Brentz is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound outfielder from Middle Tennessee State. He was taken with a compensatory pick received from the Mets for signing away Jason Bay.

Brentz received a signing bonus of $889,200 from Boston, and spent his initial time in pro ball with Lowell, the Red Sox affiliate in the New York-Penn League. He struggled to a .198/.259/.340 line with the Spinners, although 23 of his 52 hits went for extra bases.

He was also selected by the Indians in the 30th round of the 2007 draft.

2011: After the scuffles in Lowell, Brentz broke out in a big way this year with Low-A Greenville and High-A Salem. He put together an overall .306/.365/.574 line, with a gaudy 25 doubles, 30 home runs and 93 RBIs along the way. With Greenville, his wRC+ was an eye-popping 184. It lowered to a merely amazing 140 with Salem.

What People Are Saying: Baseball America named Brentz its No. 5 prospect in the Red Sox system. Here's what they had to say.

"In a system filled with intriguing sluggers, Brentz has the most usable power. He combines explosive bat speed with pure strength, and he turned a corner when he realized his homers would come naturally. He toned down an all-or-nothing approach and used the field more in 2011, though his plate discipline still has room for improvement. "

When You Can See Him: Portland comes to Trenton April 9-11, May 10-13, June 22-25 and July 7-9.

Top 10 Players from 2011 - No. 8: Pat Venditte

2012-01-04T11:17:00.002-05:00

Why He's Here: Aside from the obvious aesthetic allure of watching a switch-pitcher do his work, Venditte was able to rebound from a rough start last year to become one of the bullpen's most valuable and durable pitchers.

From May until the end of August, Venditte never had an ERA higher than 3.00 in any month, and pitched to a stellar 1.57 mark in May.

He got lefties out to the tune of .213/.273/.309.

Most Memorable Moment: Not really a moment, but a streak. From May 5 until June 9, Venditte did not allow an earned run. That stretch ended when Reading's Matt Rizzotti clubbed a game-ending home run off of him at FirstEnergy Park, in Reading.

Before that bomb, Venditte had gone 23 straight innings without an earned run, and just one unearned run. He allowed 12 hits during that stretch, struck out 23 and walked nine.

Outlook for 2012: There's a small chance the numbers game shoves him back to Trenton, but I think he's likely bound for the Empire State Yankees and their traveling road show.

Interview with John Manuel - Question 2

2012-01-03T14:32:00.003-05:00

Earlier today, I spoke with John Manuel of Baseball America. Manuel's the man behind ranking the Yankees' top 10 prospects, which were released (in e-magazine form) late last month. During an hourlong interview, I asked him about a number of different topics relating to this year's rankings. Because the chat was so lengthy, I'm going to make a post out of each question. It's more easily digestible that way.

Question 2: The previous question seems to dovetail nicely into my next question. One of the bigger differences between Montero and Sanchez, as I see it, is a lack of want. There were a number of behavioral issues this year with Sanchez, whereas Montero, for all his failings behind the plate, has made it clear to anyone who will listen that he very badly wants to be a catcher long-term. What did your contacts say about Sanchez's make-up this year?

John Manuel: One of my notes from inside the organization definitely said 'I wish that you did not rank him second last year.' I think all players need to show that they can handle success and they all need to show that they can handle failure. For Sanchez, he hadn't had any failure until this year. He did not show that he can handle success that well. He didn't handle prosperity terribly well -- it seemed like it went to his head.

It does seem like he handled failure a little bit better. Once he got back on the field, he was better in the second half, it seemed like. That's all the reports that I have. Maybe he learned his lesson from that (organizational suspension). To me, the story of not wanting to call the breaking ball because he's afraid to get embarrassed, that's an immaturity thing. That's the kind of thing where you hope it gets worked out of his system.

I do think that a level of arrogance is necessary for all these players. I think you've got to go beyond confidence. I think there's a level of arrogance that you have to have to be a major leaguer, especially a star. He's got that.

One of the things that I think is most apparent on Twitter and on the Internet, especially with the media today, we don't seem to remember that the game is supposed to humble you. There are not a lot of humble writers who cover baseball anymore. Twitter, I guess, does not reward humility, but I think the game still does with players, and this is where you learn it. You learn it more in the South Atlantic League -- it's better for you to learn it in the South Atlantic League. I definitely think he got some of that (humility) this year.

Our indications and our reports are that he was better (in the second half). You're going to regain your confidence when you hit like he hit, so I think that is something he's always able to fall back on. He can fall out of bed hitting and he has some patience and he controls the strike zone pretty well for an 18-year-old and he has mad power. I think that this guy's offense is going to buy him time to grow up and to get better defensively.

Those two negatives are undeniable, but I like to focus on what the guy can do, and he can freakin' hit. I don't think that should be lost in detailing his defensive or maturity issues. Those can be fixed; it's hard to find catchers who can hit like him.

Interview with John Manuel - Question 1

2012-01-03T14:26:00.000-05:00

Question 1: It seems that Jesus Montero's future as a catcher in name only is pretty widely cemented throughout the industry. That doesn't seem to be the case for Gary Sanchez, however, the system's other offensive firebrand at backstop. In your experience so far, what have evaluators said about Sanchez's defense?

John Manuel: It's pretty universal that people think that he has better physical ability to catch than Jesus Montero. Sanchez, he's not as big, that's where it all starts. I think Jesus Montero, I'm sure he was a little bit better this year at times than he was in previous years. I hear there are things that he does better defensively than he used to, but he's just so big. The Yankees can, and have, talked about his increased flexibility and all those things, but he is who he is. He's 6-4 and he's at least 225 pounds, and Sanchez just isn't that big.

Sanchez, I think, has a good catcher's frame and has a chance to be similarly offensive and I think a little bit more of a classic offensive player than Montero, who's a bit of a front-foot hitter, not a classic pure swing, but it does sound like Sanchez's receiving is rudimentary.

The story I had was at times he would not call a breaking ball with pitchers. He would not call for a breaking ball, because he did not have the confidence that he could catch the breaking ball. One that I cited was Mark Montgomery, their 11th-round pick this year. His first outing in Charleston this year, he had five strikeouts in an inning. We've all heard of four, but I think five is really unusual. Sanchez just couldn't catch the breaking ball.

The way the Yankees put it, and what I tried to convey this year, I finally got a Yankees official to admit that catching and throwing are lower priorities for them than they are for other organizations. They look for offensive catchers. It's true in the draft, it's true internationally. They are less interested in the Francisco Cervellis than they are in the Gary Sanchezes and the Jesus Monteros.

I won't be surprised if they give Jesus Montero an extended opportunity to catch at the major league level. The baseline is Jorge Posada. Everybody has seen Posada over the years clank balls. He's not a good receiver, he's a below-average receiver. I'm not a scout, but I've talked to scouts about Posada, and at the very least, he's a below-average receiver. That's the baseline -- if you can receive as well as Jorge Posada, and if you can hit in that neighborhood, you're going to get a chance to catch for the New York Yankees.

That's what the Yankees are looking for, so if you're looking at Gary Sanchez and you're seeing his receiving foibles right now, do it in the South Atlantic League. Figure it out in the low minors. That's what the low minors are about.

I still ranked him fourth this year. Last year we were very aggressive with him. This year I just think Banuelos and Betances deserved to be ranked ahead of him, because their ceilings are also considerable, but they both require some polish as well.

Sanchez's ceiling remains extremely high, and the Yankees believe between (catching instructor) Julio Mosquera and putting a guy like Torre Tyson in charge of defense in the organization, I think it does tell you that the organization does value instruction for defense, and they're still honing what Torre and the whole organization wants to do as far as instruction on the defensive side. They're going to put in a lot of time and make every effort to make Gary Sanchez an acceptable defender.

Top 10 players for 2012 - No. 8: DeAngelo Mack

2012-01-02T12:06:00.000-05:00

Bio: Mack, the Yankees' selection in the 13th round of the 2009 draft, is a 25-year-old ou totfielder from Tulare, Calif., who played his college ball at the University of South Carolina. While a Gamecock, Mack was teammates with now-former Yankees farmhand Nick Ebert, as well as Jackie Bradley, Jr., Boston's fourth choice from the most recent draft.

In three seasons in the system (two full), Mack has accumulated a .274/.351/.442 slash line, to go with 58 doubles, 27 HRs and 144 RBIs.

Last year: Mack was promoted to Double-A on May 27, and lasted nearly two months, with a spell on the disabled list mixed in. Mack held his own with the Thunder, hitting just .248, but getting on base at a .357 clip. He socked four home runs and drove in 16 before being bumped back to Tampa on Aug. 2.

He also posted a wOBA of .345 and a wRC+ of 112 during his time with Trenton.

What's Next: Mack split last season between Tampa and Trenton, and will more than likely return to Waterfront Park this season, probably in left field, where he'll line up with Melky Mesa and Zoilo Almonte in what should be an interesting and powerful group.

Top 10 unpublished interviews from 2011 - No. 9: Manny Banuelos

2011-12-30T16:01:00.002-05:00

As the 2011 season wound to close, the Yankees, as they do every year, invited a few of their most promising prospects to Yankee Stadium to observe big league life. To add a little more flavor, they do it during a series with a Red Sox. This year, the team invited three pitchers: Manny Banuelos, David Phelps and Adam Warren. I caught up with all three hurlers during that series. Here's what Banuelos had to say about the experience, as well as a few other topics.

Josh Norris: When they told you in Scranton that you were coming to the Bronx, were you surprised?

Manny Banuelos: Yeah, but it's a good thing, coming here. This is the first time I've been to Yankee Stadium. It's great for me. It's awesome.

JN: With that in mind, what do you think of the place?

MB: I like it a lot up here.

JN: You think you'll make it back next year?

MB: I hope that (I do). I will work hard for next year, to get back as soon as possible.

JN: When Dellin got called up, how long did you wait before asking him about the place and what the experience was like?

MB: Dellin got here last year, with the same thing like me. (The rookie program) He showed me videos and pictures and other things, and talked about the stadium and the clubhouse and everything. And yesterday when I got here he showed me everything.

JN: What's the coolest thing you've seen here thus far?

MB: The clubhouse. (He said this as if there were no other appropriate answer) It's awesome, man. I like everything.

JN: Before the game today, Girardi said you guys had to 'learn the clubhouse.' What do you think that means?

MB: I don't know. I think we've come here just to get to know everything -- the clubhouse, the stadium, everything, the field, everything.

JN: Does it mean more to you that it's during a Red Sox-Yankees series?

MB: It's a good thing to come and see this series, to watch them and see what happens.

JN: When you see so many of these kids up here who have gone through the system with you over the past few years, what does it say to you about the Yankees' reinvestment in their farm?

MB: It's great, man. We've played a couple years back, played together in different leagues, and that's awesome to me, to see all those guys here in Yankee Stadium in the big leagues. It's awesome to see these guys pitch here.

JN: What was the best moment of the season for you?

MB: The great thing for me was early in the year, when I was in (MLB) spring training. That was awesome for me. I couldn't believe that, you know?

JN: Did the season go the way you wanted?

MB: Yes. Now I just want to see what happens next year, try to come back and do better, you know?

JN: That first start in Scranton, were you surprised by how many members of the media wanted to talk to you?

MB: Yeah (laughing). When I turned around in back of me there were a lot of cameras and reporters. That was awesome, though, all the media.

Top 10 words from last season - No. 9

2011-12-29T10:10:00.002-05:00

A disco ball much less fancy than this one hung in the Thunder's clubhouse early last season

Today's word is: Disco

What it means: In the early going, the Thunder looked very much like a playoff team. They had stellar starting pitching, a good corps of relievers, and a few hitters starting to show their potential. What they also had was a disco ball.

For as long as I've been covering the team there's been one constant after a Thunder win: James Brown. After the victorious players get back to the clubhouse, someone (presumably clubhouse manager Tonto) presses play on a CD player/boombox perched next to the TV in the back left corner of the room. The victory mix CD's content has varied over the years -- sometimes Miley Cyrus, sometimes Nelly, sometimes mind-gnashing techno, sometimes Lil' Bow Wow -- but the disc has always led off with The Godfather's "Sex Machine"

For a spell early this year, though, someone added a wrinkle to the Thunder's post-win mix.

After one of the team's wins, the media entered the clubhouse to find the lots off, some glow sticks blaring and a disco ball hanging from a panel in the ceiling. It was what a rave looked like on a Double-A budget.

That tradition kept up for a while, and it was hilarious. Eventually, though, the wins slowed, and the disco ball was removed. But for those few weeks, Studio 54 had nothing on the bowels of Waterfront Park.

Top 10 Opposing Players for 2012 - No. 9: Jiwan James

2011-12-28T15:32:00.001-05:00

Bio: Jiwan James took an odd route to where he is today. The Phillies drafted him as a pitcher, and he spent a season doing that until a series of injuries, the most serious of which was a stress fracture, spurred him to try playing the field. After missing all of 2008 recovering from said injuries, he began 2009 as an outfielder with the Williamsport Crosscutters, Philly's team in the New York-Penn League.

In three pro seasons, James has shown he can play an excellent center field, with plenty of speed and range to go with an above-average throwing arm. He's not much for power, though, as evinced by his 10 career home runs in 1,203 at-bats. His .325 on-base percentage and 274 Ks against 86 career walks also shows that he could stand to be more selective at the plate, especially if the Phillies plan to keep developing him as a leadoff hitter.

2011: With Clearwater, one of the most prospect-loaded team in the sport, James posted a .268/.327/.363 line, with 26 doubles, six triples and four home runs. Given he'll be playing next season in Reading, a very hitter-friendly park, I'd expect those power numbers to take a spike, especially if he can pull the ball from the right side.

As a side note, James hit .308/.352/.400 with two doubles, two triples and two RBIs against Tampa last year, which should be interesting when he faces Trenton this year.

What People Are Saying: Last year, in his Top 11 Phillies prospects, Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein said this about James:

"James is a top-of-the-line athlete who is absolutely loaded with tools. He's a 70 runner with excellent range in center field and a slightly above-average arm. He shows good bat speed from both sides of the plate with game power, and projects to hit 10-15 home runs annually as he learns to take advantage of his long arms. Scouts love the energy he plays with."

When You Can See Him: Reading comes to Trenton July 19-22 and August 7-9.

Top 10 Players for 2012 - No. 9b: Abraham Almonte

2011-12-27T11:27:00.001-05:00

Bio: Almonte, 22, was signed out of the Dominican Republic on July 2, 2005, as a 16-year-old. He's spent five seasons touring the lower rungs of the Yankees system, culling together a .261/.339/.387 line in the process. An outfielder now, he spent the first two seasons of his career primarily as a second baseman before switching to the outfield full time in 2008.

Last year: After one half of last year with Tampa, Almonte was hitting .217/.299/.286 and things were looking pretty bleak for him as a prospect. Then things turned around, with a lot of help from a 36-game hitting streak, which lasted from July 26 until the first game a doubleheader on the season's penultimate day.

During the streak, Almonte compiled a .342 average, a .384 on-base percentage and a .486 slugging percentage. He hit eight doubles, five triples and a home run, and stole 10 bases in 13 tries. All this led to him finishing the second half with a 317/.367/478 line. An impressive comeback, to be sure.

What's Next: It all depends on what happens with Melky Mesa. If he moves to Scranton, Almonte will probably wind up as Trenton's starting center fielder. If Mesa stays in Trenton, Almonte could wind up in a corner in Tampa, pushed there by Slade Heathcott.

Top 10 Players for 2012 - No. 9a: Melky Mesa

2011-12-26T20:18:00.001-05:00

Bio: Mesa, 24, signed with the Yankees as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic. He spent two years in the Gulf Coast League where, in nearly 300 at-bats, he posted a .221 average, a .280 on-base percentage, and a .366 slugging percentage -- hardly tearing the cover off the ball.

In six seasons in the minors, he's never hit better than .258 and never on-based better than .340. Both of those high points came in 2010, when he tore up the Florida State League and earned its Player of the Year honors.

As such, he had extremely high expectations coming into 2011, as a 24-year-old entering his first season at the upper levels.

Last year: Before last season a scout summed up Mesa's potential thusly: He will either be a superstar, or he'll wash out entirely -- there's no middle ground. After watching him play a full season (minus a month on the shelf with a back injury), it's easy to see why one would evaluate him that way.

In the first place, he's an absolute toolshed. He's got great speed and range in center field, and he couples it with a cannon for a throwing arm. Watching him peg a runner on the bases is truly something to behold. He's got excellent raw power, too, which comes with a whole lot of swing-and-miss.

When all was said and done, he put together a .249/.322/.399 line with nine longballs and 46 RBIs. Those numbers were weighted down by a spectacularly poor April. After the season's opening month, he hit a very impressive .282/.358/.442.

And while those last few months showed the Yankees enough progress to put Mesa on the 40-man roster this offseason, there certainly are a few rough edges he needs to fix. First and foremost, he needs to cut down on the strikeouts. As he faces more experienced pitching, the holes in his swing will become more exposed. His 18 stolen bases in 31 attempts tells me he could stand to adopt a more mature approach on the bases.

What's Next: I wouldn't be surprised if Mesa opened the year back at Double-A, but I also wouldn't be surprised if, on the strength of that finish, he moved up to Triple-A. If that's the case, I'd imagine Abraham Almonte would take his place in center field.

Top 10 Players from 2011 - No. 9: Manny Banuelos

2011-12-25T20:43:00.000-05:00

Why He's Here: Continuing the theme from last week, Banuelos was the other of Trenton's big-name pitching prospects from 2011. Like his much taller counterpart, there were a lot of ups and downs to his season, and as such he wasn't able to provide that true No. 1 starter the team missed all year long.

Just like Betances, Banuelos flashed excellent pure stuff all year long but struggled to command the strike zone and regulate his pitches deep into games. For whatever reason, only a few parks in the Eastern League keep pitching counts, so the data is shoddy.

That said, here are the three games from this season during which pitch counts were recorded, one from April, one from May and one from June:

April 25 - 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 SO, 2 BB, 2 HB -- 73 pitches, 47 strikes
May 27 - 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO -- 90 pitches, 47 strikes
June 23 - 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 6 SO -- 96 pitches, 61 strikes

As you can see, none of those starts was bad. In fact, the Thunder won the latter two (though the middle win came because the game was completed early because of incredibly dense fog at Portland's Hadlock Field). The point remains, though: For Banuelos to live up to his potential No. 2 starter down the line, he must increase his pitch efficiency. Forty-seven strikes in 90 pitches is simply not going to cut it.

From a purely team-oriented standpoint, the elevated pitch counts got him out of the game sooner, thus taxing the bullpen. All that work caught up to the relievers late in the season, which certainly contributed to the Thunder's monumental late-season collapse.

Most Memorable Moment: This is going to be incredibly obscure, but Banuelos threw two curveballs this year that stood out from every other pitch I saw from him. Both were for third strikes and featured devastating two-plane break. They reminded me very much of the hook thrown by Oakland's Brett Anderson.

If you're looking for a game, it's probably the duel he had with Casey Crosby -- one of Detroit's brightest young arms -- at Erie's Jerry Uht Park.

After allowing five runs on 11 hits in is previous 8 2/3 innings, Banuelos posted six zeroes with seven strikeouts, and worked around three walks and a hit batsman in the process. It was one of just two starts he made with the Thunder that lasted six innings or longer and, to that point, it was his best start of the year.

Outlook for 2012: Unless he breaks camp with the Yankees (which I think is unlikely), Banuelos is headed into the rotation of the Empire State Yankees as they tour the Northeast on a seemingly interminable string of bus rides.

Scout's Notes: Branden Pinder

2011-12-24T02:12:00.000-05:00

We heard all about the bats down at Staten Island this year -- Mason Williams, Cito Culver, Angelo Gumbs, Tyler Austin and Dante Bichette, just to name a few. You don't win an NYPL championship without at least a little bit of pitching, though, and the Baby Bombers were no exception.

Staten Island hid most of its gems down in the bullpen, where the newest edition to the Yankees' stash of strong-armed future relievers lurked. In recent drafts, New York has seemed to make a point of popping young pitchers who they feel could move quickly and alleviate some of the stress (and spending) associated with constructing a bullpen at the major-league level.

One of the most promising arms on Staten Island's roster in that regard was Branden Pinder, a 22-year-old out of Cal State Long Beach whom the Yankees drafted in this year's 16th round. Baseball America named him its No. 19 prospect out of the New York-Penn League. Here's what a scout I spoke to this week had to say.

Overall: I liked him too. Obviously he did a good job for them -- I think he closed for that team. Kind of a bigger-bodied guy, the stuff was very good. He was the best arm coming out of the bullpen that I saw.

Part of trend: He's a college guy. They've seemed to have some success doing that, the Yankees, taking these guys out of college and making them relievers -- it's the second year in a row I've seen Staten Island like that.

Future: He's one of a few mature guys who could come quick. Not next year, but I wouldn't rule it out in 2013.

Scout's Notes - Bryan Mitchell

2011-12-24T01:50:00.000-05:00

As far as the starting rotation was concerned, the biggest prospect was Bryan Mitchell, whom Baseball America ranked No. 23 among its top 30 Yankees prospects heading into the season. A scout I spoke with this week saw Mitchell this season, and here's what he had to say:

Overall: I like him. I've seen him two years now. He's a guy who I think has a good arm, decent breaking ball and a change he's still got to put together. You look at his numbers, and they're not what they should be with his arm.

Arm strength: I think he's got a really, really good arm, especially considering that league. I saw him (2010) 94-96, this year it was more 91-93, touching 94. He's got a good fastball.

Future: He's probably a guy who ends up in a relief role. He just doesn't have the expansive repertoire nor the feel to pitch to start, I think, at the higher levels. I like it, I think it's a major league arm.

Scout's Notes - Cito Culver

2011-12-24T01:26:00.000-05:00

I spoke with a scout yesterday afternoon (not the same one who I spoke with about Betances, Banuelos, Montero, etc.) about some of the kids in the lower levels, mainly with Staten Island. Mason Williams is obviously the big name on that team, but there's also Cito Culver, the Yankees' highly disputed top pick from 2010.

At just 18 years old, he put up good numbers against older competition in the New York-Penn League. He ranked No. 14 on Baseball America's list of the beset prospects on the circuit. Here's what the scout had to say about the young, athletic -- and scrutinized Culver.

Overall: Cito is a guy I didn't see real good. For me, he's not a major league player, at least not a major league regular. For me, I'm not a big fan, but there are people definitely within the game and within his organization that like him a whole lot.

Defense: I've heard good things about the glove -- I didn't see it that good. The body doesn't fit for me, the way it looks, especially out there at shortstop.

Offense: Didn't do much for me from either side of the plate. It's nice to be a young switch-hitter, but I don't like the way the swing works. It's what we call a high-maintenance swing -- there's too much that can go wrong with it. It's a loud swing with a lot of moving parts.

Room for Improvement: One of the reasons I like (the NYPL) is because you can never say never on those guys -- they're too young to rule out. ... I would be mildly surprised if he became a major league regular.

Scout's Notes: Angelo Gumbs

2011-12-23T23:37:00.000-05:00

I spoke with a scout yesterday afternoon (not the same one who I spoke with about Betances, Banuelos, Montero, etc.) about some of the kids in the lower levels, mainly with Staten Island. Mason Williams is obviously the big name on that team, but Angelo Gumbs, the Bombers' second-rounder from 2010, isn't far behind.

At just 18 years old, he put up some very nice numbers against older competition in the New York-Penn League. He ranked No. 14 on Baseball America's list of the beset prospects on the circuit. Here's what the scout had to say about the young, athletic Mr. Gumbs.

Overall: I like him. He was probably a guy I like a little better than most people that saw him. I think he's got a chance to be a major league average second baseman, offensive second baseman.

Intangibles: The best part about Angelo, to me, was the makeup. This guy really enjoys playing. He's got a smile on his face, teammates like him, and he plays his ass off.

Offense: I like the swing. He's got some swing and miss in him, big swing. I think he's got to kind of find himself, so to speak, at the plate. For me, I think he's a guy that profiles as a major league second baseman, even on a first-division team like the Yankees.

Scout's Notes: Mason Williams

2011-12-23T13:31:00.000-05:00

I spoke with a scout yesterday afternoon (not the same one who I spoke with about Betances, Banuelos, Montero, etc.) about some of the kids in the lower levels, mainly with Staten Island. And when you're talking about Staten Island, at least last year, you're talking about Mason Williams.

The only Yankees pick who earned a seven-figure bonus in 2010, Williams has more than proved his worth so far. Baseball America named him their top player in the New York-Penn League last year, and went so far as to rank him fifth among the the Bombers' top prospects.

Here's what one evaluator had to say about one of the many candidates for the Yankees' Center Fielder of the Future:

Overall: To me, he's probably the best player on the team. The consensus was he was one of the best players in the league this year. I think really where you find the rub is, is this guy going to hit, is he going to develop power, is he going to get bigger? Or is he going to be the kind of guy who slaps the ball and gets on base, a typical leadoff hitter?

Appearance: I don't think he's going to get much bigger. I think he's kind of a wiry guy. Although it looks like there's room for him to fill out, I think he's just a naturally skinny guy. He is young enough to have some physical potential to grow.

Offense: This guy is a guy who's surprising with the power a little bit -- he did end up with three or four home runs. When he can pull the ball down the line he can have that sleeper pop, so to speak. He's a guy who's going to hit the ball all over the place and use his legs a little bit.

Defense: The best part about his game was his defense in center field. This guy has an above-average major league center field profile.

Comparisons to current speedy, slap-hitting Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner: For me, I think it's an interesting comparison. Obviously, Gardner is a guy who has a fantastic approach at the plate. I don't think Gardner has the same hit potential (as Williams).

I think this guy has a chance to be a .300 hitter. Gardner remains to be seen, but I think he's more of a .280 hitter, a grade 5 hit tool. Mason's got a chance to be a tick better, maybe a 6-upside guy as far as that hit tool. Maybe a .300 hitter, maybe even better than that, considering what he did at the age he was last year.

Defensively, I think Mason's probably a little more dynamic. ... I know Gardner's an athletic guy who does a lot of things, but for me, I see a little more upside.

Top 10 Unpublished Interviews from 2011 - No. 10 Adam Warren

2011-12-23T11:51:00.000-05:00

As the 2011 season wound to close, the Yankees, as they do every year, invited a few of their most promising prospects to Yankee Stadium to observe big league life. To add a little more flavor, they do it during a series with a Red Sox. This year, the team invited three pitchers: Manny Banuelos, David Phelps and Adam Warren. I caught up with all three hurlers during that series. Here's what Warren had to say about the experience, as well as a few other topics.

Josh Norris: Where were you when you got the call that you were coming up here?

Adam Warren: I was just at home, hanging out. They told us before we left Scranton, so we were just kind of waiting for them to confirm it.

JN: So it was certain when you left?

AW: They told us that we were, but we didn't hear from them until about Wednesday, that we were going to come up and see this series.

JN: Why do you think they picked you guys?

AW: I feel like we're close (to the big leagues), and if we get that opportunity to come up here (next year), then we've been here, know where to go, that type of thing. Just to get familiar in case so it's not really a culture shock to us.

JN: Going through this season, how close did you think you were to a promotion?

AW: I thought I was close. I felt like I still needed to work on some things. I feel like I took the right steps this year to get closer, so I'm just looking for that break, I guess, just to make that next step.

JN: Specifically, what do you feel is remaining for you to work on?

AW: Just keep improving. Keep refining the pitches. Just my knowledge of the game -- keep learning. I feel like I've got the stuff, I've just got to keep learning and get better.

JN: Of your three secondary pitches, which do you think has taken the biggest strides this year?

AW: Slider. It's gotten harder, it's gotten sharper. It's more of swing-and-miss pitch now. My change-up also has taken strides, but I think my slider is the biggest one.

JN: So right now, if we're ranking your pitches, it goes fastball, then the slider, then the change-up, then the curve, right?

AW: Yeah.

JN: So what have you taken, so far, from your experience with the big club?

AW: Just kind of learning everything that goes on around here, just getting familiar with everything. If I get the opportunity to come back up here next year, I'll feel a lot more comfortable with how everything works.

JN: It must be kind of surreal today, considering it's Roger Maris Day, and Yogi Berra is here, among a bunch of other Yankees from the past. What does all that mean to you?

AW: That's pretty neat. There's tradition with the Yankees already, and just to see some of it being recognized here, that's pretty neat. To have an opportunity to be here on that special day, it's just a lot of fun for me.

JN: When you look around this clubhouse today and you see guys like Phelps and Banuelos and Betances and Laird and Romine, what does it say to you about the way the Yankees have reinvested in their farm system?

AW: I think it means they have confidence in us, and seeing some of the guys, like Dellin and Brackman get some opportunities up here is really neat. It shows that they have confidence in us and they want to throw us out there.

Scout's Notes: Jesus Montero

2011-12-22T16:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning, I spoke to a scout with a club that was heavily following the Yankees affiliates around the time of last year's non-waiver trading deadline.

The bat: Hitting-wise, no big deal, he's a no-brainer. ... He might be Miguel Cabrera. He's just got it. He's got that niche that, he was born to hit. Whether the guy hits .280 or .300, the guy can hit. He has a good ability to adjust, and he's just a kid, too.

The defense: I think he eventually will have the ability to play first base. ... I don't believe he will catch. I don't believe he will be an everyday catcher in the big leagues.

His appeal to an NL club: Where he would play in the National League, it could drive a team crazy. Even at first base, you could go from a guy like Albert Pujols or Joey Votto, a Gold Glover a first base, to a guy who might cost you so many runs a year.

Scout's Notes: Dellin Betances

2011-12-22T15:41:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning, I spoke to a scout with a club that was heavily following the Yankees affiliates around the time of last year's non-waiver trading deadline.

Below are a few of the highlights of that interview in regards to the players who I don't believe will be with the team next year. I'll save the Thunder-centric quotes for the Top 10 series, which began this week and will last until around the third week in February.

Overall impression: I'm not the biggest Betances fan in the world. I think he's got really good stuff, but he's got to learn to harness it. I think he's going to end up as a bullpen guy.

On injury problems: Here's a guy that, as a starter, if you trade for him that way and believe that's what he's going to be, you're taking a guy who's been out a lot and spent time on the disabled list every year. It's kind of like taking the running back that's missed time four years in college, that's probably not going to change. ... To me, with durability and just the way his stuff plays, he's going to be a bullpen guy.

Background: Big strong kid, he's a great kid, he's grown up, he's got aptitude. There's a lot of good things.

Troubles with repeating delivery: I don't think he's the greatest athlete in the world, not that he's terrible, but I'm not sure he's the greatest athlete in the world. If you hope a guy's going to log 200 innings, you've got to repeat that delivery for a long, long time. That's not always easy.

Miscellany: I think that's what he gets in trouble with sometimes, is throwing that breaking ball for strikes. His fastball doesn't have a ton of life, it can straighten out a little bit.

Top 10 words from the season that was - No. 10

2011-12-22T11:27:00.000-05:00

Yeah, Hammer of Thor is three words -- sue me.

Today's word is: Hammer of Thor

What it means: For most of the early part of the season, the Thunder's bullpen was tremendous, and help came from every corner of the clubhouse.

- Pat Venditte, the famed switch pitcher, tossed 23 consecutive innings from May 5 until June 6 without allowing an earned run.

- Josh Schmidt, the funky junkballer, allowed just two earned runs from May 20 until Sept. 2, a stretch of 19 1/3 innings. He fanned 29 against 6 unintentional walks during that span.

- Naoya Okamoto, the Japanese lefty from the Mexican League, had a stretch of 11 2/3 consecutive zeroes from May 20 until June 11. He allowed just five hits in that time, struck out 10 and walked only one.

But the unquestioned bullpen star all year was Tim Norton, the tall, intimidating right-hander from the seventh round of the 2006 draft (the same round and year as Mike Leake and Doug Fister) who'd seen his career become increasingly derailed by injuries.

Before he left Trenton Norton put up fantastic numbers and was becoming a must-watch every time he jogged down the right-field line and onto the mound. He had become the bullpen's lights-out closer, so it was only appropriate that he had a poster of Thor and a toy hammer (like the one in the picture) above his locker.

For his efforts, as well as those of the bullpen as a whole, today's word (or phrase) is Hammer of Thor.

Baseball America's Top Ten -- and what it means for the Thunder

2011-12-22T02:00:00.000-05:00

By now, you know that Baseball America's Top 10 Yankees prospects came out yesterday -- at least in e-magazine form, for subscribers. If you happened to miss it, the list went like this:

1. Jesus Montero

2. Manny Banuelos

3. Dellin Betances

4. Gary Sanchez

5. Mason Williams

6. Dante Bichette Jr.

7. Ravel Santana

8. Austin Romine

9. J.R. Murphy

10. Slade Heathcott

So, what do those 10 men have in common, you ask? Two things:

1. They all have first names between four and seven letters long.

2. None of them figure to be on the Thunder to open next season.

Montero will probably be with the big club. Banuelos, Betances and Romine will probably be at Triple-A. Murphy and Heathcott should start with the Tampa Yankees. Bichette, Williams and perhaps Sanchez should open at Charleston. Santana, because of his horrifying injury, will most likely go to a short-season league.

That should leave the Thunder's opening day roster without a Top 10 prospect, as ranked by Baseball America, for the first time since 2005, when the team switched from a Red Sox to a Yankees affiliation.

They began last year with three -- Betances, Banuelos and Romine -- and ended, predictably, with none.

So while the team, on paper, will lack the sexiness, of, say, the Charleston club, a void of prospects doesn't necessarily correlate to a fewer wins. Want proof? Just look at last year's Eastern League.

Here's how each team's Opening Day roster broke down, in terms of Top 10 prospects, and how each team's record looked on July 14, after the Eastern League All-Star break:

Akron (2) - Joe Gardner (9), Nick Hagadone (10) ... 47-44
Altoona (4) - Tony Sanchez (2), Starling Marte (4), Bryan Morris (6), Jeff Locke (8) ... 37-52
Binghamton (1) - Brad Holt (10) ... 35-55
Bowie (2) - Xavier Avery (3), Wynn Pelzer (6) ... 47-41
Erie (4) - Jacob Turner (1), Francisco Martinez (4), Casey Crosby (6), Chance Ruffin (7) ... 43-47
Harrisburg (2) - Derek Norris (2), Brad Peacock (10) ... 53-36
New Britain (1) - Liam Hendriks (6) ... 45-43
New Hampshire (2) - Anthony Gose (3), Travis d'Arnaud (4) ... 51-37
Portland (1) - Stolmy Pimentel (9) ... 35-54
Reading (0) ... 47-43
Richmond (2) - Charlie Culberson (8), Eric Surkamp (9) ... 47-41
Trenton (3) - Dellin Betances (2), Manny Banuelos (3), Austin Romine (5) ... 48-42

Do you see any correlation between quantity of Top 10 prospects and team success? I sure don't. Both teams with four Top-10ers to their credit finished the first half with losing records, while Reading, the lone team with no big-name prospects, finished better than .500 and, at the time, sat just one game out of the EL North's Wild Card.

From a marketing standpoint, it would probably be really nice to have a few big names around to help sell tickets. A few years ago, the Thunder went so far as to market the trio of Colin Curtis, Austin Jackson and Jose Tabata on their media guide as the "Outfield of Dreams." They turned Banuelos and Betances into a dual bobblehead last season, just as they did with Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy a few years earlier.

From a won-loss standpoint, though, a lack of big names might not mean a thing in the long run.

Scout's Notes - Corban Joseph

2011-12-21T19:48:00.000-05:00

Corban Joseph accepts a double-play flip from Jose Pirela's backup. He didn't last long in Double-A.

I spoke to a scout this morning with a club that was heavily following the Yankees affiliates around the time of last year's non-waiver trading deadline.

Scout's Notes - Manny Banuelos

2011-12-21T18:06:00.000-05:00

Still just 20 years old Manny Banuelos checks in as the No. 2 prospect in the Yankees system

I spoke to a scout this morning with a club that was heavily following the Yankees affiliates around the time of last year's non-waiver trading deadline.

Overall impression: He's a no-brainer in my opinion. I think he's got a chance to be pretty good, real good. I think he's the real deal. He's got a great fastball, and I think his breaking ball's going to be fine.

I think his secondary stuff is going to be fine. He's going to have a good change-up. I liked his breaking ball. He just needs a little bit of experience and to get a little bit stronger, durability-wise.

I think he's got starter-type stuff. He's still learning to throw quality strikes and learning to expand the strike zone when he has to -- that kind of stuff.

What caused command issues: I don't think it was necessarily (his delivery). Sometimes I think he needed to trust his stuff a little bit. He tries to be too fine, nibble at times, where sometimes you've just got to trust your stuff and just go out there and do it.

Top 10 Opposing Players for 2012 - No. 10: Sammy Solis

2011-12-21T00:12:00.000-05:00

Solis delivers a pitch as a member of the Scottsdale Scorpions

Bio: Sammy Solis, a left-hander, was Washington's second-round choice in the 2010 draft. He's 6-foot-5, weighs 230 pounds, and is 23 years old. He was drafted out of the University of San Diego, where he was teammates with current Yankees farmhand -- and sort of one-time Thunder player -- Nick McCoy.

2011: Between Hagerstown and Potomac last year, Solis went 8-3 with a 3.26 ERA in 96.2 IP. He struck out 93 against 23 walks and allowed eight home runs. Of those eight longballs, four came against Red Sox prospects (two to Bryce Brentz, one to Miles Head, one to Brandon Jacobs). He also allowed one to Manny Machado, the third overall pick in the draft.

He worked 26 more innings in the Arizona Fall League -- with the Scottsdale Scorpions, as you can see from the picture above -- and allowed one bomb, to Michael Choice. So, if you're counting Solis has allowed home runs to two of the first five hitters taken in the 2010 draft. And one of those hitters, Bryce Harper, was his teammate, so he never got to face him. An interesting if meaningless aside.

What People Are Saying: A scout who saw Solis this season described him thusly: He has a fastball that sits between 89 and 94 miles per hour, with an average velo of 92 and hard, late life. He also throws a slider, a cutter, a change-up with late fade, and a knuckle curve.

When You Can See Him: Harrisburg comes to Trenton April 19-22 and July 26-29.

Top 10 Players for 2012 - No. 10: Preston Claiborne

2011-12-19T23:40:00.000-05:00

Bio: Claiborne was the Yankees' 17th-round selection in 2010, out of Tulane University. He's a right-hander who checks in at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, and he'll be 24 when the season starts in April. Along with Chase Whitley, Claiborne was one of two college relievers from the 2010 class whom the Yankees chose to pass over Low-A Charleston.

2010 was the second time he was drafted. The first was in 2006, when the Pirates selected him in the 23rd round out of Newman Smith High School, in Carrollton, Tex.

Last year: After 31 innings between Staten Island and Tampa in 2010, the Yankees ramped up Claiborne's workload in 2011. He tossed 81 frames out of the T-Yanks' bullpen, as well as another dozen for the Phoenix Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League.

Overall, he finished with a 3-9 record between the teams, allowed 84 hits (eight longballs) over 93 innings, and worked to a WHIP of 1.26 (I removed four intentional walks from his total).

A scout who saw him with Tampa was not impressed. He noted a fastball that sat between 89 and 92 miles per hour that was delivered with little deception and a long, stabbing arm action in rendering his judgment.

What's Next: Claiborne will probably be part of a host of interesting arms toward the back of the Thunder's bullpen in 2012. If he can clean up his delivery, perhaps he can raise his stock as a prospect.

Top 10 Players of 2011 - No. 10: Dellin Betances

2011-12-18T22:50:00.000-05:00

Why He's Here: I know what you're thinking. You're thinking: Josh, why is Dellin Betances, one of the Yankees' biggest and brightest prospects, ranked so low? Well, I'll tell you. It's because, despite his dynamite stuff and sky-high ceiling, his time with the Thunder this year was very inconsistent.

At 6-foot-8, command problems are pretty much an inevitability, and Betances is no exception. He issued four or more walks in nine of his 21 starts, and issued 55 free passes in 105.1 innings before being bumped to Scranton toward the end of the year.

Overall, Betances' season was fractured into two distinct halves. See for yourself.

From April 10 until June 4, he was 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA (the best in all of Double-A), a 1.17 WHIP and allowed just 31 hits over 45.1 innings. He struck out 50 against 22 walks. Over those nine starts, the Thunder were 8-1.

After that, things quickly went south.

From June 9 until August 12, his final start with Trenton, Betances went 1-5 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. He fanned 65 during that stretch and walked 33. The team was a shocking 1-11 in those 12 starts.

I said all that to say this: Yes, he's a fantastic prospect, and yes, he'll probably have more major league impact than a lot of guys you'll find on the rest of this list, but his impact with the Thunder in 2011 wasn't all positive. At least, it wasn't as positive as the players at the top of my list.

Most Memorable Moment: On the field, Betances' finest start was probably his outing on May 25 against Reading. He lasted six innings, fanned 10 against one walks and allowed just two runs. Both scores came on his only mistake of the day, which Derrick Mitchell put over the fence at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Runner-up was probably July 7 at Richmond, when he went six innings again, allowed one run and struck out nine against two walks. He also hit 99 miles per hour that afternoon.

Off the field, the best Dellin Betances moment was easily on the morning of July 31, MLB's non-waiver trading deadline, while his name was being bandied about in all sorts of rumors. One would have excused him if he were nervous and a little on edge that morning.

Not so.

While waiting to go in and talk to the manager before the game, Betances was in the weight room across the hall from the clubhouse, riding the elliptical machine and listening to some very loud Spanish music. During every chorus, you could hear Betances clapping and singing, all while wearing a huge smile.

So much for nerves, eh?

Outlook for 2012: With a great spring, he might just earn himself a spot in the big club's bullpen out of camp. More likely, however, he'll probably get a great tour of the Northeast part of the U.S. in the rotation of team formerly known as the Scranton Yankees, who will play the 2012 season without a home park while PNC Field undergoes a yearlong renovation.

With the offseason in a lull, it's time for some Top Tens

2011-12-17T10:42:00.001-05:00

Since the World Series ended, the Yankees have done three things: Extended CC Sabathia, re-upped with Freddy Garcia, and won the bid on Japanese infielder Hiroyumi Nakajima. As far as traditional Yankees offseasons go, it's been a snoozer.

With that in mind, it seems like the perfect time to begin the second year of my Thunder Top 10 lists. Starting Monday, I'll roll out of five lists of the top ten best things involved with the Thunder's season last year and their campaign in 2012, which, by the way, begins in just 110 days.

Here's what the schedule will look like:

Monday - Top 10 Players from 2011: From superstar prospects like Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances to role players Addison Maruszak and Jose Gil, here's where we'll count down those most important to Trenton's success and failure last year.

Tuesday - Top 10 Players for 2012: As it looks right now, this year's roster will, for the most part, lack that true A-list player as it's had in years part. Even so, there will be plenty of players who have the chance to make the jump into elite status.

Wednesday - Top 10 Opposing Players for 2012: As any one who's met me or followed me on Twitter (@jnorris427) knows, I love prospect watching. Last year's season featured such luminaries as Travis d'Arnaud, Anthony Gose, Bryce Harper, Eric Surkamp and Matt Harvey. There will be plenty more where that came from in 2012, and I'll run down my favorites for the next 10 Wednesdays.

Thursday - Top 10 Words from the 2011 season: Last year we did the top 10 numbers, so this year I thought we'd switch it up and list the 10 most representative words. Last season had plenty of ups and downs -- and Derek Jeter -- so there will plenty of potential for this list.

Friday - Ten Lost Interviews from the 2011 season: Sometimes during the course of a busy year, you do an interview with someone, but never get around to transcribing it. I have quite a few of those from the 2011 season, and I'll share one each week in this space.

A Q and A with new Thunder hitting coach Tom Slater

2011-12-16T23:19:00.000-05:00

On the heels of the interview with Tony Franklin interview this morning, I was lucky enough to get a chance to speak with new Thunder hitting coach Tom Slater this evening. He managed the Staten Island Yankees last year, the Gulf Coast League the year before, and has been in the Yankees system for the last four years.

As such, he's gotten a chance to see just about every young player in the system, and was willing to share a few of his insights about a few guys you'll see this year at Waterfront Park, as well as a couple of guys who might need another year at the lower levels. It's a bit lengthy, but it's worth the read. Enjoy.

Q: After managing in the Gulf Coast League in 2010 and with Staten Island last year, why do you think the Yankees assigned you to Double-A in 2012?

A: I don't know. You'd have to ask Pat Roessler that question. Six called me in October and told me I would be heading up to Trenton. Obviously I'm excited about it, getting a chance to be with Tony Franklin and Tommy Phelps, two class guys, so I'm looking forward to it. As far as why, I guess you'd probably have to ask Six that question.

Q: Besides working with the Yankees, what else do you have on your coaching resume?

A: I'm going on my fourth year with the Yankees, I just got done with the Fall League in Arizona. Yankees sent me out there this fall. Prior to the years with the Yankees I coached in college for 17 years.

Q: With the Arizona Fall League, then, you got to see some of the more experienced guys in the system, as opposed to the younger, more raw guys you'd worked with at the complex and with Staten Island.

A: Yeah, I was out there with Corb and Ronnier and Rob Segedin, and a few of our pitchers that you guys had last year -- Chase Whitley and Preston Claiborne and Dan Burawa, who I know were at Tampa last year, as well as David Phelps from the Triple-A club. All those guys were out there. It was a good time, those guys all did well and I certainly enjoyed my time out there as well.

Q: What's the difference with working with guys at the upper levels as opposed to kids who are just getting their feet wet in pro ball?

A: I think, with the younger guys, be it Gulf Coast League or Staten Island, some of the first-year guys, you're doing a lot of the stuff that's introductory to those guys. They are learning the Yankees system, the way we do certain things, be it team defense, the way we run the bases, whatever.

Obviously by the time they're up there in Trenton where you guys get to see them, they've been through rookie ball, short season, and then either Charleston or Tampa. It's an older, more mature and obviously more polished player.

Q: Let's get specific, then. With a guy like Mustelier, who's older but new to pro ball, what do you do with a guy like him?

A: I tell you what, I was really impressed with Ronnie out in Arizona. He really swung the bat well, showed the ability to hit the ball, to really use the whole field. Probably what was the most impressive -- I had been told what a good hitter he was -- but he really played defense well. He played third base a lot there, and he really played third base well.

The young guys, like I said, down in the Gulf Coast and in Staten Island, you're really helping those guys establish a routine, and hopefully you're helping them establish a routine that they can carry throughout.

With the older guys, Mustelier, Corb, Rob Segedin, these guys are a little bit older and they've already established their routines. It's a matter of helping them stick with it. Those guys all work extremely hard out in the fall league, and it was fun to be around them.

Q: Have you had a chance to work with Tony Franklin before?

A: Just in spring training, a lot in spring training over the last couple of years. What a great guy. What a great baseball guy. Really a class individual. I've always enjoyed my time around him down in spring training.

Q: What would you say your biggest strength is as a coach?

A: To be honest with you, I wouldn't say. It's not something I really want to talk about -- myself -- that much. I'm just honored to have the opportunity to get up there and coach with a bunch of good players and a great staff.

Q: Well, if you don't want to talk about yourself, then let's talk about a few of the players you might see up here at Trenton this year. First, Zoilo Almonte.

A: Yeah, Zoilo, what a great player. I really enjoyed having him down in extended spring training a couple of years ago. Tremendous athlete, tremendous skills, pop -- a lot of pop in his bat. ... Just great tools, an exciting player. Like I said, three years ago when we were together down in extended spring training, (he was) just an exciting guy to be around. That bat is fun to watch hit.

Q: How about Rob Lyerly?

A: Rob's another guy that I've gotten to know. He went straight to Staten Island out of college. I got to know him in Spring Training with some of the early work we do in January and February with the guys before Spring Training starts.

Another guy who can drive the ball. I know that at both Charleston and in Tampa, he really put up good numbers hitting, and from what I've seen of Rob, he's a guy who really drives the ball well to left-center, right-center, stays on the ball well, lot of doubles; good middle-of-the-field, gap-to-gap approach. I know he got up there with you guys for a spell last year. He's a hard-working kid who's fun to be around.

Q: I don't think Trenton's going to see him until later in the year, perhaps, but J.R. Murphy.

A: I was fortunate enough to have Murph down in the Gulf Coast League the first year he signed. He's very intelligent, he's got a great demeanor and he's got a really great approach. He had a great high school coach who prepared him well.

He's just a guy with a great demeanor and a great approach coming out of high school right into pro ball right from the get-go. He signed late, but he was able to play for us there at the end of the Gulf Coast League and was dropped right into the middle of our lineup. He did a great job, and I know he's continued to do a great job.

I know he was putting up really great numbers in Charleston last year and really swinging the bat well. Unfortunately, I think he broke a foot when he first got to Tampa, but quality guy, good hitter and just a great professional demeanor.

Q: Same deal for another guy who the Thunder probably won't see this year but who is intriguing to Yankees fans nonetheless -- Gary Sanchez.

A: I had the pleasure of having Gary two years ago, and ... just a tremendous talent. Tremendous talent. He overmatched the Gulf Coast League a couple of years ago. I mean, .350 with, I don't remember how many home runs it was, nine, in a short period of time. Then he went up to Staten Island at the end of the year just as a 17-year-old guy.

Last year, I know he really got on a hot streak in Charleston with the home runs before his season got cut short by an injury as well. Just a tremendous hitter, a guy that will hit for power and for average.

Q: Just two more, the next name I'm curious about is Kyle Roller.

A: Kyle, like Rob, is a guy I've had a chance to spend some time around in spring training and in the early parts of January and February for some extra work with those guys. Again, a strong, good-looking hitter. From everything you read in the reports and everything you see, I know he's had a lot of success at Staten Island, at Charleston and in Tampa last year.

He's a guy who uses the whole field, drives the ball well to left-center field, has a lot of power in his bat, and is a good-looking hitter.

Q: Last name I'm going to mention, and he won't get to Trenton this year, but Mason Williams is the talk of the organization, so I've got to ask you about him.

A: Again, I've had the great fortune of having Mason. I had him Staten Island this year, he was the Player of the Year in the New York-Penn League. He hit .350, played a tremendous center field, stole 28 bases. He's an exciting young player, and comes to play every day and loves to compete. I'm biased. I've had him for the last two years, and he's really a good-looking young player.

Q: What could you say about his work ethic?

A: It's tremendous. Tremendous work ethic. That whole group of 2010 draft kids, guys who were first at the yard every day at Staten Island, they put in countless hours at the cages with Ty Hawkins, and they also put in good work at the fields defensively in their pregame work as well.

Every one of those kids, whether it's Mason, Cito, Ben Gamel, Tyler Austin, Angelo Gumbs, just a really special group of young players.

Quotes from Tony Franklin

2011-12-16T14:43:00.000-05:00

Got a chance to speak to Tony Franklin just now for a few minutes as he made his way into physical therapy on his newly-replaced left knee. The Thunder announced yesterday that he was on board for his sixth consecutive season managing the team. When I told him that, at least toward the end of last season, it appeared that 2011 would be his last at Trenton's helm, here's what he had to say.

"I've thought about (retiring) in each offseason. You start questioning myself, but in the back of my mind I think, 'What else do I want to do?' I'm too young to retire."

During our conversation of what, other than reassurance from his doctors, eventually brought him back again, he brought up the many big-rehabs who have come through Trenton over the past few years, namely Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter, and how much that's meant to him.

"Another Hall of Fame player (like Jeter or Pettitte, or a prospect) will come through Trenton, and I want to be a part of that."

More than anything, though, the decision to come back centered around a desire to teach, which has been the motivating factor since he starting managing in 1982.

"I want to educate players about this," he said, "about how to be major leaguers."

Tony Franklin, Tommy Phelps to return to Thunder

2011-12-15T17:13:00.000-05:00

(Trenton, NJ)- The Trenton Thunder, the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, announced on Thursday that Tony Franklin will be returning to Trenton as Manager for the sixth consecutive season.

Franklin will be joined in the dugout once again by pitching coach and former Major Leaguer Tommy Phelps who returns for a fourth season. The coaching staff will include new additions,Hitting Coach Tom Slater, Coach Luis Dorante and Athletic Trainer Scott DiFrancesco. Strength and Conditioning Coach Kaz Manabe will return to the Thunder for a second season.

“Tony Franklin is an absolute professional and he’s been a great asset to the Thunder and our community," said Thunder General Manager Will Smith. " I can’t wait to welcome him back to Trenton in 2012. We all hope he can lead the Thunder to our third League championship.”

Franklin guided the Thunder to back-to-back Eastern League Championships in 2007 and 2008 and another Eastern League Championship Series appearance in 2010. Last year's squad did not make the Eastern League playoffs. Franklin owns a career managerial record of 997-906 including a record of 405-323 with Trenton (records include post-season).

The 2008 Eastern League Championship was Franklin’s third title as manager. In 1993, he led South Bend (Single-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox) to the Midwest League Championship. Prior to his time in Trenton, Franklin spent most of the last 11 years as the Minor League Infield Instructor for the San Diego Padres. His managerial career began with the White Sox organization as the manager for Geneva (NY) of the New York-Penn League in 1982.

Franklin spent four seasons in Geneva, making the playoffs in 1985. After one season with Wytheville (Appalachian League), he guided the White Sox affiliate in the Florida State League, the Sarasota White Sox, to a playoff appearance in 1989. Franklin spent two years as the skipper of the Birmingham Barons of the Southern League, including 81 wins in 1991 and a berth in the Championship Series.

He and his wife, Haiba, have three children Derrick, Wayne and Shelby.

Tommy Phelps will return for his fourth season as the pitching coach for the Thunder. Phelps pitched for the Florida Marlins in 2003 and 2004 including a 2003 season in which he went 3-2 with a 4.00 ERA in 27 games (seven starts). He was part of a Marlins team that won the World Series over the Yankees. Phelps pitched in 29 games for Milwaukee in 2005 and went 7-4 with a 4.45 ERA in 2006 with Columbus (Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees). Phelps was originally an eighth round pick by Montreal in the 1992 draft.

Hitting Coach Tom Slater has been a Manager in the Yankees organization for the past three seasons. Last year, he led Staten Island to a 45-28 record and the New York-Penn League championship. He managed the Gulf Coast League Yankees the previous two seasons. Prior to joining the Yankees, he served as Head Coach at Auburn University, going 115-113 and seeing 15 players drafted by Major League clubs over the four year span. His previous coaching experience includes a stint as assistant coach at Florida (2004), three years as the head coach at Virginia Military Institute (2001-03) and assistant coach positions at St. Christopher's School in Richmond, VA and Marshall University.

Coach Luis Dorante spent the last four years in the Pirates organization, serving as the Latin American Field Coordinator in 2011. From 2008-2010, he was the Pirates Bullpen Coach, having joined the Major League staff on November 20, 2007. He served the Florida Marlins in the same capacity during the 2005 campaign.

Dorante’s managerial career began with the Montreal Expos in the Gulf Coast League in 1995. The former Harrisburg Senators skipper returns to the Eastern League for the first time since the 2001 season. In 11 seasons as a minor league manager, Dorante led his team to the playoffs four times and compiled a record of 671-696. Primarily a catcher during his playing days, Luis also made appearances at first base, third base and in the outfield during his six-year minor league career.

Athletic Trainer Scott DiFrancesco has been in the Yankees organization for five years after spending last year with Tampa, the previous three with Charleston and a 2006 internship at the Yankees complex in Tampa, FL. He has a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Ball State University.

Kaz Manabe returns to the Thunder as the Strength and Conditioning Coach. He had spent the previous two season with Charleston. A native of Japan, Manabe graduated from Hiroshima University and earned his Master degree in Kinesiology from California State University, Northridge.

Kanekoa Texeira signs with the Reds

2011-12-15T15:27:00.001-05:00

Another day, another former Thunder pitcher finds his way into a new organization. This time it's Kanekoa Texeira, a two-time Trenton alumnus, who signed yesterday with the Cincinnati Reds.

He joins former teammate Andrew Brackman, who inked a major league deal with Cincy earlier in the week.

Like Brackman, Texeira does have some major league service time under his belt, although his experience in The Show is considerably more extensive.

The affable Hawaiian appeared in 49 games over the last two seasons, compiling a 1-1 record and a 4.66 ERA with the Mariners and Royals. He never appeared in the big leagues as a Yankee, though he did face them four times in 2010.

Of the Yankees' minor league free agent pitchers, Josh Schmidt, Logan Kensing, Brad Halsey, Francisco Castillo and Wilkins Arias are still on the market.

One of his three career home runs allowed was against Alex Rodriguez. Mark Teixeira scored on the bomb, marking a lovely collision of Texeira and Teixeira.

Back from the Cayman Islands, a guess at the 2012 Thunder roster

2011-12-03T19:19:00.001-05:00

After a relaxing week in the Cayman Islands, I'm back in lovely, frigid New Jersey and ready to think (and blog) about the Thunder. There should be an announcement in the next couple of weeks regarding the team's coaching staff for 2012,

Anyway, to the predictions, which I'm sure are what you care about most. I've been thinking about this for the past couple of weeks, tossing around a few of system's sexier names and wondering what the team will look like come April.

From where I sit, it appears that this year's club, at least for the first half of the season is going to look very much like it looked at the end of 2011. Aside from catcher and second base, the starting nine should be untouched.

A few familiar names should show up in the bullpen, which otherwise should feature more than a few strong-armed college relievers.

With that said, here's my initial guess at which 24 men will be on Trenton's roster on Opening Day against New Hampshire.

1. Kyle Higashioka - Catcher

2. Mitch Abeita - Catcher

3. Luke Murton - First Base

4. David Adams - Second Base

5. Jose Pirela - Shortstop

6. Brad Suttle - Third Base

7. DeAngelo Mack - Left Field

8. Melky Mesa - Center Field

9. Zoilo Almonte - Right Field

10. Rob Lyerly - Designated Hitter

11. Yadil Mujica - Utility

12. Walter Ibarra - Utility

13. Brett Marshall - Starting Pitcher

14. Graham Stoneburner - Starting Pitcher

15. Mikey O'Brien - Starting Pitcher

16. Sean Black - Starting Pitcher

17. Craig Heyer - Starting Pitcher

18. Dan Burawa - Relief Pitcher

19. Grant Duff - Relief Pitcher

20. Chase Whitley - Relief Pitcher

21. Preston Claiborne - Relief Pitcher

22. Ryan Flannery - Relief Pitcher

23. Noel Castillo - Relief Pitcher

24. Kramer Sneed - Relief Pitcher

Also in the mix: Ryan Baker (C), Jose Gil (C), Addison Maruszak (Utility), Jeremy Bleich (SP).

A September Chat with ... Austin Romine

2011-12-01T14:56:00.001-05:00

Thanks to a recommendation from ESPN's Andrew Marchand on Twitter this morning, I've gained more than 70 new followers over the last few hours. With that in mind, I thought it might be nice to give them a taste of the kind of stuff they can expect once the minor league season gets going again.

I spoke to a bunch of former Thunder players at Yankee Stadium this September, and they had some interesting things to say about their time with Trenton, their 2011 season, and a variety of other topics.

First up is Austin Romine, one the Yankees' top catching prospects. With Jesus Montero seemingly marooned at Scranton all of last year, Romine was bumped back into a repeat of Double-A until a late-season call-up.

Once S/W-B's season finished, it seemed for a while that Romine's did too. Then Francisco Cervelli got hurt, opening the door for Romine's big break. Here's what he had to say about that moment, plus a few other things along the way.

Additionally, I take a lot of videos of these players throughout the season, so here's Romine's single off of Altoona's Aaron Pribanic from the Eastern League All-Star Game, held in Manchester, NH, home of the Fisher Cats.

JN: Being a West Coast kid, it must have been nice to break in out there. Had you ever been to SafeCo before?

AR: No, I had never been there before. It’s a really nice field, really nice town. It was cool. My first start was in Seattle, everything first was in Seattle, but my debut was in Anaheim.

JN: Obviously that was a really publicized moment, considering your brother was playing for the Angels and your parents were on hand.

AR: You can’t write it any better than that. To be called up to be in your first big league game at home where you grew up with your family and friends – I had like 40 people at the game – with my brother on the other team, it was a really good moment for me.

JN: When I saw that Cervelli went down with the injury in California, my first thought was, ‘OK, Romine’s probably going to get the call here, because he’s probably in the stands as it is.’

AR: It’s the first time in September that I haven’t been in LA. I was (in Kentucky) visiting my girl out there. She’s going to school out there, so I was out there with her.

JN: At the University of Kentucky?

AR: No, Northern Kentucky. I drove from Scranton, so it was only like 10 hours, so I figured I’d drive there before I drove home.

JN: Yeah, ONLY ten hours.

AR: That’s not that bad, considering I was about to drive three days. Then I got a call, and it was the best call of my life, then I got on a plane and now I’m here.

JN: Now you’re here, playing against the Red Sox, which was your dad’s team growing up. Did you root for Boston as a kid?

AR: I did. For the most part I was actually an Angels fan, back when they had (Troy) Glaus and (Tim) Salmon, (David) Eckstein, (Darin) Erstad and all those guys, but that’s where I grew up. I grew up watching them.

JN: How many guys in the other clubhouse did you grow up watching?

AR: All of them. When I was in high school I used to watch them. I used to watch Yankees and Red Sox all the time -- that was a big thing even out on the West Coast, so I grew up watching all those guys.

JN: With you being a catcher, it must be even more special having Yogi Berra on hand here today.

AR: I actually ran into Yogi over where we eat, said hi and talked to him for a second. He’s really short, but just to see him and be around him is pretty cool.

JN: That’s probably the kind of guy you’d want to model your career after, with his 10 World Series rings.

AR: I’d be happy if I get one, that’d be awesome. As many as I can get, that’s the plan.

JN: Considering what you’ve gone through this year, with the concussion and the back injury, did you think this promotion was even a possibility?

AR: I really, really didn’t. I figured I’d go up to Scranton and just finish the year. They’d give me some time there and maybe I’d go back next year, who know what happens in spring training. I thought they were just going to give me some time (at Scranton) And then with the back thing, it was lingering but it was fine. I was excited to get a full offseason in – I’d never had that before.

JN: Now that it’s passed, was the concussion more than you might have let on to us at the time?

AR: Now that it’s passed, yeah. It was a little bit worse than maybe I’d let on, but I’d never had a concussion so I didn’t know what to expect. I was telling you guys the truth every single day. You know that I’m not one to lie. I tell it how it is, I hope I have that track record over the past two years when I was in Trenton.

JN: Do you think the time you spent in Arizona last year, adding a big chunk to your overall workload might have helped you manage this year better?

AR: I do. I think so. Playing more games than just 140, getting up into the 160s, that’s what the big leagues is. It’s a lot more games than in Trenton in Scranton, but I think that being in Arizona may have helped me out.

JN: Last one, given the hype that you two have come here with, did you think that you and Jesus would ever be in the same major league clubhouse at the same time?

AR: We always joked about when we were coming up through the system together, like ‘Yeah, we’re both going to be there. How cool would that be?’ Like I said, this happened really quick, so we just recently started talking about it, how cool it is to be in the same clubhouse. Even though we’re vying for the same job, we’re both here and we’re both just trying to help the team out the best we can.

Catcher Day Part 2: J.R. Murphy

2011-11-22T13:24:00.000-05:00

For no reason at all, I have decided to have a little fun today on the blog. Thus, today is catcher day. I will post as many things as I have available about the catchers up and down the Yankees system.

Why catcher? First, it's one of the team's positions of strength. From Montero to Romine to Murphy to Sanchez to Liccien to Bird, the Yankees are bursting with backstops. Second, and more selfishly, I happen to have a good deal of catcher-related media lying around, including video clips and unpublished interviews.

We started the day with some Gary Sanchez material, and now we'll move to his first-half teammate, J.R. Murphy.

In a way, Murphy and Sanchez found their way to the RiverDogs in similar fashion. Both spent their formative years learning the game and honing their craft, Sanchez on ballfields in the Dominican Republic and Murphy at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Each was identified by the Yankees as a high-level talent, especially at the plate, and summarily handed a seven-figure bonus to join the fold.

Unfortunately for both players, there was another parallel this season: Each had his year cut short by injury.

Before it was over, Murphy earned a promotion to High-A Tampa, and compiled a .287/.325/.434 line with 29 doubles, seven homers and 46 RBIs. I imagine he'll start the year back at Tampa and earn a midseason promotion to Trenton if everything goes accordingly.

Here's an unpublished interview I did with Murphy this April, as well as a couple of videos from his series against the BlueClaws.

Q: What’s it like knowing that Brian Cashman took time out of his schedule to come watch you guys play for five games?

A: Obviously you don't want to put even more pressure on yourself thinking about who is watching, but I just think it's cool that he is around. Not just at the game but walking around the clubhouse. Very cool and something you don't get to see every day.

Q: He’d said that it was important to let you guys know that there was a connection between the front office and the minor leagues.

A: That's great to know. A lot of people think, ‘Oh, we’re in Low-A, guys up there don’t really know who we are.’ It’s really cool that he’s around here watching the games, taking the time to come watch us and stuff, so it’s cool. There are times when you think they don't even know who we are down here.''

Q: You were with Charleston last year – are you surprised to be back to start the season?

A: "(Being back) is a good opportunity. I wasn't surprised. They've got me working on different positions now, too. Surprised? No. I’m just looking forward to trying other positions and getting better at them.

Q: Which position, outside of catcher, do you believe is your strong point right now?

A: Probably third. I haven’t played any outfield – I did in spring training. Definitely third base is the strongest because of taken more reps there than in the outfield.

Q: Eventually this logjam at catcher will probably dissipate, but how do you deal with it while it exists?

A: You just have to worry about yourself and go about your business day to day. Playing other positions is only going to help me. It's all about making it to the big leagues. What position I play, that's up to them. I love catching, but if playing third base or the outfield is going to help me move up then I am all for it.

Q: You and Sanchez are together for now. How do you help each other grow?

A: Sanchez and I work a lot together, whether it's just watching each other while we are catching, or working off the field with Victor, we feed off each other and are learning stuff from each other.

Q: What specifically have you learned from Sanchez?

A: He’s come a long way from last year. Seeing his progress with footwork, receiving and the transfer of his throws to second base is what I learned most.

Q: On the other side of the coin, what do you think he’s gotten from you?

From my end I think he sees my work ethic and how I go about my business. Working with Victor every day you have to constantly push yourself and get better. I think that’s what he’s learned.

Q: They obviously have a lot invested in a handful of players here financially. Mark Newman said a lot of the organization’s better position prospects are here. Do you see you guys pushing each other?

A: I think we do. We have a good mix of Latin guys and American guys. As far as that goes, I think we are just starting to know how good we can be when play together as a team. When everything meshes with us, hits are contagious with this team. When we’re on defense, it’s a plus.

Q: The focus at the upper levels seems to be more individualized, rather than a team-first attitude at the lower levels. Do you agree?

A: Yes and no. I think the American guys work a lot together more than the Latin guys do. As a whole, as a team, we work real well together. It’s not very individual down here at all, I don’t think.

Catcher Day Part 1: Gary Sanchez

2011-11-21T18:17:00.001-05:00

So, to start the day, here's an interview I did with Sanchez in April, when the Charleston RiverDogs were in town for a five-game set with the Lakewood BlueClaws. Because Sanchez speaks very little English, the interview was done through a translator, which is why I asked some of the questions in second person.

Q: With the situation with his heart, was he scared when all that was happening?

A: I didn’t really feel it that much. I was practicing and everything, during all that time. But they found something in the tests, and it was like a precautionary measure. I wasn’t concerned. I was always in good shape, ready to play.

Q: What was the procedure they performed? (points to chest area) I don’t see a scar there.

A: There’s not a really a scar. They didn’t cut. It was just two insertions (above his groin on his right leg). You can’t even see them.

Q: What prompted the tests?

A: The heartbeat, when he was running, there was a nerve in the heart, and it was accelerating his heartbeat.

Q: Do you remember a specific point where you felt something was wrong?

A: No. Not really.

Q: How relieved is he that they found it now and took care of it this early in his life?

A: I feel normal, actually. I never felt bad. That was something the doctors detected in my body. I never really felt anything, any discomfort or anything like that.

Q: You got a pretty big chunk of money to sign with the Yankees. What did you do with that initial signing bonus? Any big first purchases?

A: No. I have everything at home. My family is taking care of it.

Q: Do you feel pressure after getting that much of a bonus?

A: No.

Q: This is your first year in full-season ball. What have the biggest challenges been through the first month of the season?

A: The trips are killing me. After the trips, I’m very, very, very exhausted. I’m very tired.

Q: Because he’s catching all the time?

A: You go crazy on the bus. There’s too much time spent on the bus.

Q: What’s the longest trip?

A: Thirteen or fourteen hours (this one)

Q: Do you sleep on the bus?

A: I couldn’t sleep very well. I was tossing and turning.

Q: How does life in American ball compare to the sport in the Dominican?

A: In the Dominican, I played in my little league (not Little League). Here, you play professionally. There’s a lot at stake here, as opposed to playing over there.

Q: Can you think of one thing that made him stand out to the Yankees or any other team that may have wanted to sign him?

A: It was my normal workout. I was hitting the ball and throwing well to the bases.

Q: With the heart again, what did your parents think? How nervous were they that, at 18, their son needed heart surgery?

A: They didn’t know. When I went to New York, I explained to them, and my family was at the hospital. They did visit me at the medical center.

Q: With all the catching prospects the Yankees have, do you like having all of those good catchers in the system at the same time?

A: I’m going to do my job and let them do theirs. I’m going to try to do the best I can.

Although his first year of full-season ball was cut short by injury and dotted with questions about his maturity (those things tend to dog 18-year-olds), the numbers -- especially in the second half --looked pretty good for the premier position prospect in one of the game's better systems.

He finished with a .256/.335/.485 line with 17 home runs and 52 RBIs, struck out 93 times against 36 walks (oddly, none were intentional). Interestingly, his average and on-base percentage dipped in the second half, but his slugging jumped more than 100 points, thanks in large part to 12 longballs in 136 at-bats.

And while the defensive numbers were nothing short of ghastly, two scouts I spoke with were unfazed, saying that they liked his athleticism and instincts behind the plate, as well as his plus arm. When questioned, both preferred Sanchez longterm to Montero.

More than likely Sanchez will begin next season in High-A Tampa, with an outside chance to finish it in Trenton. That said, we saw last year with J.R. Murphy and Slade Heathcott that the Yankees are not afraid to hold players back if there's something there they still need to work on.

Several 2011 Thunder players among Yankees minor league free agents

2011-11-04T15:57:00.000-04:00

Baseball America transaction guru Matt Eddy released his publication's guide to this offseason's minor league free agents, and several of this year's Thunder players showed up on the Yankees' list.

New York Yankees (21)

RHP: Francisco Castillo (Hi A), Noel Castillo (Hi A), Grant Duff (AA), Logan Kensing (AAA), Jeff Marquez (AA), Kelvin Perez (Lo A), Mark Prior (AAA), Josh Schmidt (AA), Kanekoa Texeira (AA), Eric Wordekemper (AAA)

LHP: Wilkins Arias (AA), Steve Garrison (AA), Brad Halsey (AA), Kei Igawa (AA), Jose Quintana (Hi A), Josh Romanski (Hi A)

C: P.J. Pilittere (AAA)

1B: Mike Lamb (AAA)

SS: Doug Bernier (AAA), Luis Nunez (AAA)

OF: Jordan Parraz (AAA)

Among those who played with the Thunder last year are: Duff, Marquez, Schmidt, Texeira, Arias, Garrison, Halsey, Igawa and Romanski.

Nearly all of those arms, if they re-signed, would be fodder for Triple-A. Unfortunately for the Yankees, it's going be difficult to lure free agents to the hellscape that will be the Rochester/Batavia/Lehigh Valley/Pawtucket/Lake Woebegone Yankees.

Meaning: It's going to be really interesting to see how this plays out over the winter.

NOTE: Jordan Parraz has already signed a minor league deal with the Braves.

Thunder manager Tony Franklin "on the mend"

2011-11-01T12:12:00.000-04:00

In a text this morning, Tony Franklin, the Thunder's manager since 2007, says that he underwent successful knee-replacement surgery and is "on the mend."

"Therapy is tough," he wrote, "but (I'm) getting through it."

Franklin was bothered all season by various issues, foremost of which was his aching knee. You could see it when he walked, and especially when he made his way out to argue with an umpire.

He also missed an early portion of the season after being taken to a local hospital before a game complaining of chest pains.

In Franklin's absence, Justin Pope, a coach and a former Thunder pitcher, served as the team's acting skipper. Because minor league managerial contracts are year-to-year, Franklin is currently a free agent.

If he returns, he would only extend his franchise-record tenure at the team's helm. I, however, don't believe he will be back. The medical issues seemed almost too much to bear at times this season, and I think he will ultimately opt to stay in baseball, but with a job that is both less taxing physically and closer to his California home.

When the 2012 season begins, I fully expect that Pope will begin his first season as a professional manager.

Eastern League auction to benefit flood relief efforts

2011-10-31T15:41:00.000-04:00

The Eastern League is pleased to announce the league will be launching an online charity auction starting this Tuesday, November 1st at 1 p.m. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the relief efforts from the devastating flooding that took place in Binghamton, New York and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania earlier this fall. To view the items being auctioned off or to place a bid on any of these items visithttp://easternleague.milbauctions.com.

The list of items that will be available when the auction starts on Tuesday afternoon are:

- Game worn Akron Aeros Cory Burns jersey

- Autograph Pack featuring LaMarr Woodley of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Matt Cooke and
Pascal Dupuis of the Pittsburgh Penguins

- Derrek Lee autographed baseball

- Jacob Turner autographed baseball

- Tyler Moore game worn autographed hat

- Paul Molitor autographed baseball

- 2011 Eastern League All-Star Game team autographed baseball set (Eastern Division baseball
and Western Division baseball)

- Autographed Jose Iglesias Portland Sea Dogs jersey

- 2011 Reading Phillies Opening Day team autographed baseball

- Richmond Flying Squirrels Prize Pack (various giveaway items, a t-shirt and hat)

- Set of 2011 Trenton Thunder Bobblehead Dolls (Cano, Hughes, Pettitte home, Pettitte road,

Jeter, Banuelos/Betances, Pettitte statue)

New items will continue to be added to the auction through its completion in December so be sure to visit the site often to see what is available. Some of the items that will be added along the way include:

Derek Jeter authenticated autographed baseball

Portland Sea Dogs honorary bat kid for a game

Carlos Santana autographed bat

Andrew McCutchen autographed bat

Yankees Instructional League roster

2011-09-22T11:42:00.000-04:00

Fresh off the printer, here's the complete Yankees instructional league roster. Players reported today, and the first game will be played on Sept. 26, against the hated Instructional League Phillies. Camp is slated to break on Oct. 7.

Here's how the acquisition breaks down:

2011 Draft class: 15
2010 Draft class: 13
2009 Draft class: 4
2007 Draft class: 1
International Free Agents: 20

PITCHERS
Zach Arneson
Manny Barreda
Dan Burawa
Daniel Camarena
Mariel Checo
Jordan Cote
William Davis
Evan DeLuca
Gabe Encinas
Francisco Gil
Shane Greene
Chaz Hebert
Tommy Kahnle
Joseph Maher
Bryan Mitchell
Taylor Morton
Zach Nuding
Branden Pinder
Reynaldo Polanco
Jose Ramirez
Francisco Rondon
Evan Rutckyj
Hayden Sharp
Adam Smith
Matt Tracy

CATCHERS
Greg Bird
Eduardo DeOleo
Gary Sanchez
Isaias Tejeda
Jackson Valera

INFIELDERS
Miguel Andujar
Tyler Austin
Dante Bichette
Cito Culver
Claudio Custodio
Matt Duran
Anderson Feliz
Angelo Gumbs
Austin Jones
Ronnier Mustelier
Reymond Nunez
Kyle Roller
Jose Rosario
Rob Segedin

OUTFIELDERS
Yeicok Calderon
Jake Cave
Kelvin DeLeon
Ramon Flores
Ben Gamel
Daniel Lopez
Eladio Moronta
Wilmer Romero
Mason Williams

More highlight reels - Staten Island's William Oliver, Tyler Austin and Ben Gamel

2011-09-12T15:19:00.000-04:00

An interview with Mikey O'Brien, plus a small highlight reel from his April 25 start against Lakewood

2011-09-12T15:03:00.001-04:00

Q: When you see guys like Gene Michael and Brian Cashman watching you pitch, does it give you butterflies?

A: No. I saw them walk through the clubhouse before the game, but once you get out on the mound you really don’t think about that kind of stuff. You don’t really notice anyone in the stands, you’re just kind of locked in.

Q: I know you have diabetes. What do you do to manage it on a long road trip like this? Has there ever been an incident where you’ve forgotten something important?

A: No, no. Knock on wood, but I hope that never happens. My trainer keeps the stuff with him in the bag that he has 24/7 so, God forbid if anything happens, he’s able to help me out. In between innings, I’m constantly checking my blood sugar, so I’ve been able to manage it pretty well.

Q: Is that something that was hereditary with you?

A: I picked it up my senior year of high school. It was a big surprise to me and my family. My grandmother had it in late in life, and other than that, that’s it. I got the flu, and then that happened. They said the flu triggered it in my immune system.

Q: There’s a kid Dylan Covey who went in the first round last year but declined signing because they discovered diabetes during the physical. Did the diagnosis make you re-think signing?

A: No, I pretty much had my mind set that I wanted to play baseball. It’s my dream, so I wanted to be able to do it.

Q: You’re the only kid out of your high school (Hidden Valley High, in Roanoke, Va.) to be drafted.

A: It’s a new high school. We just started, in 2000, I think, was our first year. I think there’s only been other guy from my area get drafted.

Q: That’s a pretty quick turnaround (for Hidden Valley). It must be an honor for you to be the first.

A: Yeah. It’s kind of a small town, so I love going back.

Some video from Staten Island

2011-09-04T20:33:00.000-04:00

DANTE BICHETTE'S FIRST STATEN ISLAND HR

CITO CULVER GROUND-RULE DOUBLE

CITO CULVER SINGLE

ISAIAS TEJEDA'S FIRST STATEN ISLAND HIT

CITO CULVER WALKS

ANGELO GUMBS MAKES A DIVING PLAY

WILTON RODRIGUEZ STRIKES OUT TILLMAN PUGH

TYLER PILL STRIKES OUT ANGELO GUMBS

ISMAEL TIJERINA GROUNDS OUT TO CULVER

FRED LEWIS STRIKES OUT TYLER CARPENTER

ROB PAULLUS STRIKES OUT TYLER CARPENTER

Pena, Burnham, Arizona Fall League, Scout notes

2011-08-30T18:01:00.000-04:00

REHAB MANIA: For the second time this season, the Thunder have received a Yankees shortstop for a rehab assignment. In July, it was Derek Jeter, and the zoo of adoring fans he brought through the turnstiles at Waterfront Park.

Tonight, and for the rest of the season, it seems, Trenton will get Ramiro Pena, a defensive wizard who has played 257 games in the Eastern League entering the evening. He's almost certainly the best gloveman at the position in franchise history.

Pena is working his way back from an appendectomy and will play five innings tonight and seven innings tomorrow before traveling with the club to New Britain for the year's final series.

He's an interesting addition for the stretch run, especially because of the solidarity he'll add in the middle of the infield, where the team has had a bucket of problems throughout the year.

GOLDEN VOICE: Ballpark Digest named Thunder Director of Broadcasting Jay Burnham its Broadcaster of the Year yesterday. Considering that award encompasses all of minor league baseball, that's some honor.

In a press release sent out by the team, the man of the hour had this to say about the honor:

"I am truly honored and humbled to be the recipient of this award, especially since there are any number of broadcasters at all levels that are deserving as well. I am fortunate to be a part of one of the best organizations in baseball.

"My broadcast partner Hank Fuerst and I have had an unforgettable season between the new radio station and visits from some of baseball's greatest players past and present, including Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter and Shane Victorino."

PLAY (MORE) BALL: The Arizona Fall League announced its rosters yesterday, and (so far) four Yankees will play for this year's incarnation of the Phoenix Desert Dogs: Corban Joseph, Ronnier Mustelier, Rob Segedin and David Phelps.

All but Mustelier, a 27-year-old Cuban import, have spent time with the Thunder in the past.

RANK AND FILE: Spoke to a scout before the game who's seen the Yankees at every level but Staten Island this season and asked him to rank the team's position player prospects, non-Montero division. Here's what he said.

1. Gary Sanchez -- He looked excellent in the second half and projects to be a catcher long-term
2. Slade Heathcott -- Behind Sanchez, but not by much
3. Austin Romine

He also mentioned Jose Toussen as a guy who may start to open some eyes. Not a star, he said, but a guy who can play a little. Also really likes Dan Burawa, a reliever with Tampa out of St. John's.

Mea Culpa

2011-08-28T14:02:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry. I haven't been at the blog much lately. Between not being at games, the Hurricane and other various day to day nonsense, I just haven't gotten around to it. My apologies. I'll be better from here on out.

With that out of the way, here's how we stand. As I mentioned on Twitter, I won't be covering any games for the rest of season because of a very complicated situation at The Trentonian's office. The paper's coverage will come from a variety of people, including talented freelancers Bill Landis and Kyle Franko.

As for me, I'll physically be at Tuesday's game, but won't be writing anything because it's technically my off day. I will, however, have something for you on the blog that's not necessarily about the Thunder.

I'll also be at the Staten Island Yankees game on Sept. 3 (weather permitting). Hopefully, the Yankees' first pick this season will also be around.

That will be my final minor league ballgame of the season. I'll keep the blog running through the offseason, and will keep you up to date on the Yankees' prospects as they play in their various fall and winter leagues.

Here's hoping you stayed nice and dry during the hurricane.

After tonight, a murky road lies ahead for Marquez

2011-08-20T13:30:00.000-04:00

TRENTON – While it wouldn’t have come close to topping this year’s list of marquee rehab starts, Jeff Marquez’s scheduled appearance last night did continue an interesting recent trend of long-forgotten alumni finding their way back to the capital city.

Instead, the game was postponed by torrential rain and lightning, and will be made up today as part of a doubleheader of two seven-inning games that will begin at 6:05 p.m.

Over the last four seasons, Marquez is the fifth player to re-enter the fold after spending significant time elsewhere in the sport. It’s not an illustrious list, but it includes outfielders Noah Hall and Justin Christian, as well as current Trenton relievers Kanekoa Texeira and Brad Halsey.

That’s to say nothing of Justin Pope, the Thunder’s coach who last pitched for the Thunder on Sept. 3, 2007 before returning to Waterfront when the team kicked off its home schedule on April 14.

When he finally toes the slab tonight, it marked the first time since Aug. 28, 2008 that Marquez has taken the mound at Waterfront Park in the regular season.

In the 1,087 days between appearances, Marquez has been traded to the White Sox in the package that brought Nick Swisher – as well as Texeira – to the Yankees, and pitched two seasons with Charlotte, Chicago’s Triple-A affiliate.

The Yankees claimed him on waivers on June 8, three days after he was cut by Chicago. He pitched four innings this season for New York before hitting the disabled list with shoulder inflammation.

“For them to keep an eye on me and notice that I’m on waivers,” Marquez said. “I felt like that was a good opportunity for me to come back. At the time, they needed pitching up there in the bullpen. That little time I was up there I felt like I did a pretty good job, and hopefully I’ll get back there.”

If he is to get back to the Bronx, it will have to happen before Tuesday, at which point he will fall into a sort of transactional limbo. Should the Yankees decide they don’t need his services, which, considering they’ve acquired Raul Valdes, Scott Proctor and Aaron Laffey in recent days, seems likely, then Marquez’s immediate future will become uncertain.

Because he’s out of minor league options, and has been since the season began, he’ll be placed on waivers, from which teams will have 72 hours to claim him and place him on their major league roster. If nobody claims him, he can choose to finish out the year in the minors with the Yankees, or shut it down and prepare for free agency.

For now, his travels have taken him back to Trenton, and considering the success he’s had here, that’s not such a bad thing.

“It feels good to be here to be around guys, to be around a team, rather than being down there in Tampa (in the Gulf Coast League),” he said. “I was here in ’07 and a little bit in ’08 when we won the championships back to back – lot of good memories here.”

NOTES: Marquez will start the first game of tonight’s twinbill, and will be followed by Graham Stoneburner. They’ll be opposed by Mike Ballard and Tim Bascom of Bowie. … Manager Tony Franklin said before the game that third baseman Brad Suttle was likely done for the season. … Reliever Wilkins Arias is on his way back from a brief stint in Scranton. To make room, Halsey will be placed on the 7-Day disabled list. … It is unclear who will replace Marquez in the rotation after this turn. Cory Arbiso, Josh Schmidt, Kei Igawa and Arias seem like likely candidates.

Time flies when you're on the run

2011-08-19T14:59:00.000-04:00

In the spirit of Jeff Marquez's return to Trenton this evening, I decided to do a little research. Marquez finds himself back at Waterfront Park after leaving the organization for a time, and he's not the only player to do so in recent memory. In fact, since I've been in New Jersey, I can count five players who have returned to the Thunder after spending time elsewhere in either pro or indy ball.

Those five are: Marquez, Brad Halsey, Justin Christian, Noah Hall and Kanekoa Texeira.

With that in mind, I sat down and looked up how many days each man went between
regular-season appearances at Waterfront Park. Here's how it breaks down:

Halsey - 2,841 days (Aug. 31, 2003 - June 12, 2011)
Marquez - 1,086 days (Aug. 28, 2008 - Aug. 19, 2011)
Christian - 1,051 days (June 21, 2007 -May 8, 2010)
Texeira - 698 days (Sept. 5, 2009 - Aug. 5, 2011)
Hall - 627 days (Sept. 3, 2007 - May 23, 2009)

And, as a special addendum, there's Justin Pope, the team's do-it-all coach and its former pitcher:

Pope - 1,318 days (Sept. 3, 2007 - April 14, 2011)

Jeff Marquez will start on Friday

2011-08-18T16:55:00.000-04:00

As speculated, then unspeculated, here by yours truly, Jeff Marquez will start Friday's game against the Bowie Baysox. I guessed he would be coming this way, but re-considered when I saw he was moved to the 60-Day Disabled List earlier this week.

I figured that meant his injury had gotten worse, and would prevent him from coming north. Then I realized that it may simply have been a roster-shuffling move, and it wouldn't necessarily keep him from a second stint in Trenton.

Because he's considered a major league rehab, no move will be required to get him a place on the roster.

A former first-rounder and a part of the trade that brought Nick Swisher to the Yankees, Marquez has pitched five innings in the bigs, including four with the Yankees this season after he was claimed off waivers from the White Sox.

Marquez was a part of the 2007 and 2008 Thunder teams that won back-to-back Eastern League Championships.

Strikeouts, Schmidt and Stuff

2011-08-17T19:19:00.001-04:00

-- I had a little free time today, so I combed the MiLB portal looking at some of the Thunder's numbers this year. One that jumped at me was the 1,042 strikeouts Trenton hitters had accrued this year.

The franchise's all-time worst was 1,047 punchouts, and this year's version is just five away with 21 games left on the slate. I find that pretty darn astounding.

The mark gets even more perplexing when one realizes that the team has spent the last month and change without Cody Johnson and Brad Suttle -- windmills both -- and that Melky Mesa, another prime culprit, had played just 87 games entering Wednesday's action.

-- Another reason the Thunder have struggled down the stretch? Infield defense, or a severe lack thereof. Corban Joseph and Jose Pirela have combined for 51 errors this season at second base and shortstop, respectively.

-- Yesterday, I ran down the list of people I thought might start Friday's homestand-opening game against the Bowie Baysox. I listed Kei Igawa, Cory Arbiso and Jeff Marquez as possibilities, but apparently I didn't count on one of the more obvious choices: Josh Schmidt.

Schmidt, who is, mercifully, on the precipice of minor league free agency, has been sent back to Trenton, according to Donnie Collins of the Scranton Times-Tribune.

As is tradition, Schmidt has bounced between Trenton and Scranton this season, and has put forth a 7-4 record, a 2.20 ERA and a .199 average against. He's allowed just 40 hits in 57.1 innings this year and has fanned 62 against 24 walks.

If he starts on Friday, I wouldn't be surprised to see him stick in the rotation for the rest of the year. He's filling the shoes of Dellin Betances, who will make his first Triple-A start tomorrow, against Durham.

The difference between Schmidt and Betances is not unlike that between Joba Chamberlain and former Yankees reliever Edwar Ramirez.

-- John Brebbia, the Yankees' 30th-round selection in this year's draft, out of Elon, was assigned to Staten Island today.

Back from vacation ... here are some notes (UPDATE)

2011-08-16T16:36:00.000-04:00

After four days in sometimes rainy, sometimes sunny Virginia, I'm back in action. Not much happened while I was gone, did it? Oh, right, some stuff did occur.

For instance ...

Dellin Betances was promoted to Scranton. This makes sense. He pitched very well his last time out, and his velocity was hitting the upper-90s. He had been throwing a much higher percentage of fastballs in recent days, an indicator, I think, that the Yankees may use him as a reliever in the near future.

With his promotion, the Thunder's rotation is left with a 6-foot, 8-inch hole to fill. As it stands, here are Trenton's five starters:

1. Shaeffer Hall
2. Graham Stoneburner
3. Steve Garrison
4. Craig Heyer
5. ????

There are two in-house candidates for the elusive Four Question marks Of Doom spot -- Cory Arbiso and Kei Igawa. Arbiso is starting tonight in the second game of the doubleheader with Erie, so you can probably count him out at least for Friday.

Igawa just came off the shelf, where he'd been since June 23, so he'd be fresh as a daisy on Friday. That said, he's been markedly better as a reliever with the Thunder this season -- not that it really matters to the guys who make these types of decisions.

The other, more interesting candidate is Jeff Marquez, who was with the team way back in 2008, my first year of coverage. He's working his way back from injury, and is currently with the Tampa Yankees. He last pitched on the 13th, so he'd be on five days' rest.

Because Marquez is on the 40-man roster, no move would be needed to get him on the Thunder's roster on Friday. This is key, because the team is currently carrying the maximum 24 players.

Additionally, Austin Romine was activated off the team's disabled list this afternoon. Inflamed disks in his back put him out on August 3rd. Tonight's game will be the first he's played in exactly two weeks. Don't expect him here for long, however. He'll get the bump to Scranton once Jesus Montero is ready to take the first car up to the Bronx.

Corban Joseph missed three consecutive games after having a stye on his eye taken care of. My sister dealt with one of those at one point, and I remember her saying that they were no fun at all. Though he wouldn't admit, I'd bet it hindered his performance some.

The Thunder also dropped two of three to the Harrisburg Senators over the weekend, including one that was lost when Bryce Harper hit a 480-foot walkoff home run off of Ryan Pope on Friday.

As it stands, Trenton is, at 60-60, in a tie for second place in the Eastern Division with the Reading Phillies. Lurking just a half-game back is New Britain, who also could overtake both Reading and the Thunder for the wild card.

If the Thunder are going to make the playoffs, they're going to have to beat some of the best competition the circuit has to offer. After their quartet with Erie, they have seven games with division leader New Hampshire, three with Western Division frontrunner Bowie and eight with the Rock Cats.

UPDATE: Welp, I missed on that one, folks. Jeff Marquez was placed on the 60-Day DL and most certainly not be starting against the Baysox on Friday. Igawa leads the race.

For Romanski, Breast Cancer Awareness Day holds special significance

2011-08-11T16:49:00.001-04:00

TRENTON – Up and down his back and all across his body, Josh Romanski is covered in tattoos. Most of the ink is a testament to his belief in God, but the next one he gets, he says, will have a different theme.

“I’m going to get a nice, big pink breast cancer ribbon this offseason,” he explained yesterday. “I just don’t know where I’m going to put it yet. That’s coming soon.”

The ribbon will stand in tribute to his mother, Sheila, who has survived breast cancer three times. The Thunder wore pink jerseys yesterday to help raise awareness for the disease, and the cause was certainly not lost on Josh.

“I think it’s awesome whenever organizations take the time to honor the people who have struggled with the battle, not just against breast cancer, but any type of cancer,” he said.

No matter when the diagnosis comes, hard times surely lie ahead. When you receive the news on the heels of a day that was supposed to be a celebration of the culmination of years of hard work, however, the pain only multiplies.

That’s what happened to the Romanski family in June of 2008, just 20 minutes after Josh got the news that he’d been drafted in the fourth round by the Milwaukee Brewers.

During the celebration, the phone rang again, this time with the news the family had hoped it would never hear again. Sheila’s cancer had returned, and she would need to begin the process of fighting the disease for a third time.

“That was kind of a bittersweet day for us as a family,” he recalled. “I was going to get to start my professional career, but at the same time she was heading into her third bout with breast cancer.”

The first time the cancer popped up, Josh was in fifth grade, at an age when one doesn’t necessarily understand its ramifications and the battle that lies ahead for the patient and his or her family.

“All you know is that mom’s sick. My brothers and sister, they’re younger than I am, so they had a hard time comprehending it, but we got through it. She got through it the first time, it came back a year later, she got through it again, and fortunately it was in remission for another 11 or 12 years.”

Now, in the midst of a career that was nearly blunted early by Tommy John surgery, Romanski is able to count his blessings with the knowledge that the worst day in the bush leagues is far and away better than the best day his mother – or any cancer patient, for that matter – will struggle through.

“It kind of puts baseball second on your priority list, and I think that’s helped me,” he said. If something goes wrong on the field, you can always look back and say there’s other people going through more difficult times. If the worst that’s going to happen to me is giving up runs on a baseball field, then I think I’m going to be OK.”

Another exasperating loss for the Thunder

2011-08-11T16:43:00.001-04:00

TRENTON – Before every game, Thunder manager Tony Franklin oversees his infielders as they work on their craft. Jose Pirela and Corban Joseph in particular can be seen taking ground balls and working on perfecting the double-play turn. Rob Lyerly works on getting better at the corners.

This is all in addition to the day’s regularly scheduled pregame practice session.

After the infield’s display in the fifth inning of the team’s 9-3 loss to the Binghamton Mets last night, it’s clear that there’s a lot of work left to be done.

In that frame, Shaeffer Hall, who had the misfortune of being a control artist who can get hitters to beat the ball into the dirt, watched as Lyerly, Pirela and Addison Maruszak each misplayed grounders behind him.

The final error of the inning, Lyerly’s, would have ended the frame with just four runs on the board and the Thunder staring at a 6-2 hole. Instead, Niuman Romero, activated from Binghamton’s disabled list to replace the promoted Jordany Valdespin, reached, and the B-Mets tacked on three more.

When asked about it before the game, Franklin agreed that his team’s defense, particularly on the infield, has been one of the major contributing factors in its current tailspin.

“It’s a defensive game. I’ve said this for five years and I’ve said this for a long time in my career. … We’ve made a lot of errors, and errors have contributed to big innings (and) runs, and that makes playing the game a little more difficult.”

To wit, through the first 116 games, Trenton has committed 130 errors. Four players (Pirela, Joseph, Lyerly, Brad Suttle) have more than 10, something that hadn’t been accomplished since 2006.

Allowing seven runs in an inning is never good, but facing a former first-rounder throwing high-90s gas only compounds the situation.

That was the case with Matt Harvey last night, the seventh overall selection in last June’s draft, who, although he didn’t have lockdown stuff, was able to quiet the Thunder’s bats over five innings.

In all, Harvey allowed three runs on six hits, walked nobody and fanned six.

Before the disastrous fifth, things were actually looking up for the Thunder, who were able to briefly time Harvey’s fastball. Melky Mesa and Zoilo Almonte strung together consecutive singles in the second, and Damon Sublett sent home the first run with a ringing double into the left-center field alleyway.

A groundout from Jose Gil – who also erred in the fifth – brought home a second run, which tied the game at the time.

NOTES: Joseph was not initially in the lineup. He was scheduled to visit the doctor to have a stye over his eye lanced. Plans changed, however, and he was reinserted into day’s starting nine. … Ray Kruml took batting practice yesterday, and could be activated in time for this weekend’s set in Harrisburg. … Austin Romine (lower back) is still day to day.

Thunder show fight but fall to Binghamton (with audio from Tony Franklin and Rob Lyerly)

2011-08-10T14:21:00.000-04:00

Even though it had a little twist at the end, the Thunder followed virtually the same script they have for the last five weeks: Lose, and do so in particularly frustrating fashion.

This time it was a 6-5 defeat against Binghamton, one in which it looked for a moment like the tide was finally beginning to turn.

Down 6-1 opening the eighth, Jose Pirela blooped a single into a shallow left field. Corban Joseph followed with a single through the right side, and Rob Lyerly capped the rally with a long three-run homer into the blackness beyond the wall in right-center field.

With the pendulum appearing to swing back in their favor, the Thunder kept chipping.

Damon Sublett started the ninth with a triple off the top of the wall in center, which Jose Gil followed with a walk against Binghamton closer Josh Stinson.

Things then turned quickly back toward the visitors’ dugout.

With his team down two and threatening, Gil committed one of baseball’s biggest no-no’s when he got picked off of first base on Stinson’s fake-to-third-throw-to-first move.

Sublett scored on a wild pitch, but the next two men, Addison Maruszak and Austin Krum went down in order to close the game and the send Trenton back to the clubhouse with its six loss out of seven tries in August.

“I’ve got a recording,” manager Tony Franklin said afterward, “and it’s not good. It’s starting to wear on me. I think we’re a better team than that, but we keep seeing the same movie over and over every night, and I’m tired of watching it.”

In spite of the loss, the Thunder, who are just 11-25 since the start of July, find themselves just one game behind Reading for the Eastern Division wild card and just five games back of division leader New Hampshire, against whom they still have six head-to-head matchups.

With that knowledge, Lyerly says, the team can take a hint of solace in knowing its mess of a second half hasn’t amounted to a knockout blow.

“We’re right there,” he said. “It’s only a matter of time before we roll through and make a push and start climbing the ladder.”

Things started poorly last night when, with two outs and a runner on second, starter Graham Stoneburner lost the strike zone. He issued two consecutive free passes before third baseman Mike Fisher cleaned the bags with a double.

And although Fisher was wiped out in a rundown between second and third base, his hit put the Thunder in a three-run hole which, lately, has been an overwhelming deficit.

Over its last 11 games, last night marked just the third time Trenton had scored more than three runs.

Stoneburner settled down after the first inning, dodging in and out of trouble through the next four frames to keep Binghamton off the board. Problem was, Trenton wasn’t putting up much of a fight either.

Their first run scored on a Krum groundout in the fifth, and they collected just three hits and a walk in five frames against starter Collin McHugh.

Binghamton added to its lead in the sixth and seventh innings, using a two-run home run from Raul Reyes and a seventh-inning double from Fisher that plated Havens and chased Stoneburner.

Thunder release 2012 schedule

2011-08-09T16:13:00.000-04:00

(TRENTON, NJ) Even with 14 home games remaining in the 2011 season, the first seeds of the 2012 campaign were sown on Tuesday afternoon as the Trenton Thunder, Double A Affiliate of the New York Yankees, released next year's schedule.

The Thunder will begin the 2012 season at home against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays) on Thursday, April 5 at 7:05 pm. The team will play their last home game on Thursday, August 30 at 7:05 pm against New Britain (Minnesota Twins). The season will end in Binghamton (NY Mets) on September 3 at 1:05 pm.

The Thunder will face their top rivals 24 times at home. The Double A Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, the Portland Sea Dogs, will visit Trenton 14 times in 2012. The Sea Dogs will make their first trip April 9-11 followed by May 10-13, June 22-25 and July 7-9. Philadelphia Phillies fans can catch the Reading Phillies in Trenton for seven games next season, July 19-22 and August 7-9. The Binghamton Mets (NY Mets) will visit Trenton for just one series, June 8-10.

The Thunder will play 13 home games in April, 14 in May, 14 in June, 15 in July, and 15 in August. The team plays 71 home games against all 11 Eastern League teams.

The standard game time will remain at 7:05 pm for night games. The first Saturday of the season, April 16, will begin at 1:05 pm and Saturday, April 21 will begin at 5:05 pm. All other Saturday games will start at 7:05 pm. Sunday games will start at 1:05 pm with the exception of the final two Sundays of the season, July 29 and August 19, which will begin at 5:05 pm.

Mid-week day games will return in 2011, with the first one, a 10:35 am "Education Day" slated for Wednesday, April 11. Education Days will also be held on on Thursday, April 26 and Monday, June 4. Popular 12:05 pm day games are scheduled for Monday, July 9, Thursday, August 2, Wednesday, August 8 and Wednesday, August 22.

The schedule of fireworks dates and promotions will be released at a later date.

Pitching matchups vs. Binghamton

2011-08-09T14:07:00.000-04:00

Today: RHP Graham Stoneburner (1-1, 1.86) vs. RHP Collin McHugh (4-2, 3.75)
Tomorrow: LHP Shaeffer Hall (10-5, 4.23) vs. RHP Matt Harvey (3-8, 6.33)
Thursday: LHP Steve Garrison (3-8, 6.33) vs. RHP Brandon Moore (9-7, 3.93)

Pregame stuff: On the way in Trenton was hit with quite possibly the biggest storm since I've been here (four years). The streets were flash-flooding to a degree I've never witnessed. That said, it seems to have slowed, and the tarp was on, so I wouldn't bank on a postponement just yet.

Austin Romine is still on the shelf with what his agent called "inflammation in a couple of disks in his back." Jose Gil and Ryan Baker will be the catching duo in his stead, with Addison Maruszak filling the role of emergency catcher.

Dellin Betances is scheduled to spin on Friday in Harrisburg, where he'll face one Bryce Harper, a prospect of note and enthusiast of terrible mustaches.

Good news for the Thunder on a couple of fronts. They are facing the B-Mets, who are a league-worst 47-68, and who are underwhelming against southpaws as a whole. On the season, Binghamton hits just .248/.328/.386 against lefties, which is good news for both Shaeffer Hall and Steve Garrison.

The Thunder haven't been caught stealing in seven attempts in August. The last Thunder runner to get caught was Melky Mesa, who was nabbed by Akron catcher Raul Padron on July 27 at Canal Park.

In sporadic playing time, utilityman Yadil Mujica has a modest five-game hitting streak, the longest of any hitter on the team.

Videos a go-go: Montero, Banuelos, Mason Williams, William Oliver, Angelo Gumbs

2011-08-03T18:52:00.000-04:00

Audio from Dellin Betances, Manny Banuelos, Brian Cashman, Jesus Montero and Adam Warren

2011-08-03T17:53:00.001-04:00

Banuelos is movin' on up

2011-07-31T21:11:00.000-04:00

And so, at about noon today, the first domino fell.

Manny Banuelos, Jack Curry reported, had been promoted to Scranton. Manny didn't know about it. Tony Franklin didn't know about it. Frankly, it seemed as if Curry was the only one outside of the Yankees braintrust who knew about it at all.

Then the game was played (a 5-0 Thunder loss) and everything became clearer. Banuelos was in the clubhouse hugging and high-fiving his teammates, packing his things and getting ready for the next step on his journey.

He's scheduled to make his Triple-A debut Tuesday against Lehigh Valley, where (I think) he'll match up against Scott Mathieson, a guy I root for because he's survived two Tommy John surgeries.

It seems as if everyone around here was waiting for Banuelos to go on a hot streak, after which we assumed he'd get the bump. That streak never really came (although his last start was quite good), but the Yankees thought he'd improved enough to be tested at the next level.

With Scranton, Banuelos will be plugged into a rotation that features Adam Warren, Andrew Brackman, D.J. Mitchell, Lance Pendleton and Greg Smith (it appears that Banuelos will take Smith's slot).

I'll be at Scranton on Tuesday, so expect plenty of stuff from the young man's Triple-A debut.

Report: Manny Banuelos promoted to Scranton

2011-07-31T12:23:00.000-04:00

According to Jack Curry of the YES Network, Manny Banuelos has been (or will be) promoted to Triple-A Scranton for his next start, which would come on Tuesday in one of the games of their doubleheader with Lehigh Valley.

Banuelos, the Yankees' top prospect, was 5-4 with a 3.59 ERA in 95 1/3 innings of work in Double-A this year. He's missed a little time with blister issues, but otherwise has had a clean bill of health.

Banuelos is still in the building and has not been informed of his promotion. I'll have comments from him later on in the afternoon.

Pregame Notes - 7/31 (Should I stay or should I go?)

2011-07-31T10:27:00.000-04:00

It's 10:40 here at ol' Waterfront Park, and everything is quiet. Some pitchers are stretching in the outfield. A few groundskeepers are shuffling hither, thither and you. Other than that, there's no action to speak of.

In a few hours, though, all that could change.

The trade deadline is 5 hours and 18 minutes away, and there are still plenty of balls in play. Heath Bell, Randy Choate, Josh Willingham, or even the vaunted #mysteryprize could be on its way to New York, which means there's a good chance some members of the Thunder could be filling out change-of-address forms in short order.

The big prizes, Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances and Jesus Montero, are safe, I think. Smaller names, however, like Adam Warren, Corban Joseph, J.R. Murphy and others, are still in play, especially for a guy like Bell.

The only things that are certain today are that Steve Garrison is going to pitch, Craig Heyer is going to back him up and a roster has to be made to get Garrison aboard.

Here's the Thunder lineup as we do the waiting dance:

Kruml - LF
Joseph - 2B
Almonte - RF
Lyerly - 1B
Mesa - CF
Pirela - SS
Gil - C
Mack - DH
Maruszak - 3B
Garrison - LHP

Stoneburner to return to Thunder on Friday

2011-07-28T21:18:00.000-04:00

Just in time for the stretch run, the Thunder’s rotation is about to get a boost. Graham Stoneburner, who has been out since April with an injury to his neck and right shoulder, will take the ball this evening in the second game of the weekend set against Richmond.

Before the injury, Stoneburner, one of the organization’s better young arms, looked like he was going to be a vital part of Trenton’s staff. Then he got hurt, opening the hole that Craig Heyer has filled.

On his way back, Stoneburner rehabbed seven times between the Gulf Coast League and the Florida State League, spanning 33 innings. In his last start Sunday, he allowed just two hits over seven innings, more than showing that he was ready for a second test in the Eastern League.

The Thunder also welcome back DeAngelo Mack from the disabled list, where he’s been since July 10 with a badly bruised hand. Before hitting the shelf, Mack was hitting .246/.360/.395 with five doubles, four home runs and 17 RBIs.

He enters an outfield mix that includes Zoilo Almonte, Ray Kruml, Damon Sublett and Melky Mesa. One of those four is a candidate, along with third catcher Ryan Baker, is likely to land on the disabled list today to make room for Stoneburner’s return to the roster.

One pitcher you won’t see on the roster any time soon is Grant Duff, who is out for the season with shoulder troubles. After having his elbow surgically repaired last offseason, Duff threw just nine innings this year before being placed on the DL on June 15. Over the last two seasons, he’s thrown just 46 2/3 innings.

NOTES: It was Jewish Heritage Night yesterday evening at Waterfront Park, and Gary and Lenny’s New York Deli was on hand to cater the festivities. The Thunder’s mascots, Boomer and Strike, wore Hebrew lettering (their names, presumably) on the back of their costumes for the occasion. With the trade deadline nearing, scouts from the Rockies, Mariners and Phillies were in the crowd. … Attendance last night was 6,113.

Pregame Notes - July 28

2011-07-28T18:16:00.001-04:00

Tonight is the first of the final four games before the trading deadline, and the big (radar) guns are in the house. Scouts from both the Rockies and Mariners are here, which may ring a few bells to those who follow the scuttlebutt.

That said, there are obviously other things going on around the team, notably:

- Mark Newman, Nardi Contreras and Julio Mosquera are in the house

- Outfielder DeAngelo Mack is back from the disabled list, where he's been since July 10 with a sore hand.

- Grant Duff's season is over. He'll begin the rehab process down in Tampa shortly, Tony Franklin said, which leads me to believe he had some sort of surgery. Franklin wouldn't tell us.

- Graham Stoneburner, who's been out since April, is scheduled to start on Friday. He was in the clubhouse before the game, and had ticket requests in, so he's feeling better, obviously.

- Franklin said before the game that Romine was "not playing" for the two consecutive games was based on the stress incurred from the sweltering heat in Bowie.

- There is a 75 percent chance of thunderstorms around 8 p.m. tonight

Around the System - July 27

2011-07-28T10:36:00.000-04:00

Triple-A: Scranton 3, Buffalo 2

Greg Golson: 1-for-4, HR, outfield assist
Jordan Parraz: 2-for-4, HR
Austin Krum: 1-for-4, 2B
Luis Nunez: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI
Lance Pendleton: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 3 SO
George Kontos: 2 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 2 SO
Kevin Whelan: IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO

Double-A: Trenton 5, Akron 1

Corban Joseph: 1-for-5, RBI
Austin Romine: 1-for-5, 2B, R
Rob Lyerly: 3-for-5, RBI
Jose Pirela: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, R
Addison Maruszak: 2-for-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB
Damon Sublett: 0-for-1, 3 BB
Manny Banuelos: 6.1 IP, 5 H, R, ER, 3 BB, 5 SO

High-A: Tampa 6, Fort Myers 1

Abe Almonte: 2-for-4, R
David Adams: 1-for-5, 2B, R
Ronnier Mustelier: 2-for-5, 2B, R, RBI
Rob Segedin: 1-for-4, R, RBI
Cody Johnson: 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
Luke Murton: 1-for-2, 2B, 2 BB
Hector Rabago: 2-for-4, 2B
Mikey O'Brien: 5 IP, 4 H, R, ER, BB, 3 SO
Dan Burawa: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 0 SO

Short Season: Staten Island 10, Batavia 1

Mason Williams: 2-for-5, 2 R, RBI
Cito Culver: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB
Rey Nunez: 3-for-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI
Ben Gamel: 2-for-4, RBI, R
Ali Castillo: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI, BB
Will Oliver: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 7 SO
Caleb Cotham: 2 IP, 3 H, R, ER, BB, 5 SO
Phil Wetherell: IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO

Gulf Coast League: Yankees 12, Blue Jays 5

Jose Rosario: 5-for-6, 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI
Daniel Lopez: 1-for-6, 2B, R, SB
Dante Bichette: 2-for-5, 2 R
Yeicok Calderon: 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Jackson Valera: 2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, BB
Fu-Lin Kuo: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB
Henry Pena: 3-for-3, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB
Reynaldo Polanco: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 SO

Dominican Summer League 1: Yankees 4, Angels 3

Melvin Aquino: 2-for-4, R
Mikeson Oliberto: 2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, BB, SB
Jose Polanco: 1-for-4, R, RBI, 2 SB
Gian Arias: 1-for-2, 2B, RBI, BB
Cesar Vargas: 5 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 3 BB, 5 SO

Dominican Summer League 2: Dodgers 9, Yankees 5

Allison Reyes: 2-for-5, 2 2B, 2 R
Sandy Brito: 3-for-3, 2 RBI
Wilmer Romero: 1-for-5, 2B, RBI
Renzo Martini: 1-for-4
Jerison Lopez: 2-for-4, R, RBI
Chris Tamarez: 0-for-1, R, BB

Around the System - July 26

2011-07-27T10:16:00.000-04:00

Triple-A: Scranton 11, Buffalo 2

Greg Golson: 0-for-5, 3 R
Jesus Montero: 3-for-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI
Mike Lamb: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
Jorge Vazquez: 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
Jordan Parraz: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, R, BB
Luis Nunez: 1-for-5, HR
Doug Bernier: 2-for-4, 2 R
Austin Krum: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB
D.J. Mitchell: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 3 SO

Double-A: Trenton 4, Akron 3

Corban Joseph: 1-for-5, 2 RBI
Jose Pirela: 3-for-5, 2B, R, RBI
Zoilo Almonte: 1-for-5, 2B, RBI
Melky Mesa: 1-for-5, R
Damon Sublett: 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB
Craig Heyer: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO
Chase Whitley: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO

High-A: Tampa 2, Fort Myers 1

Kelvin Castro: 2-for-4, BB
Ronnier Mustelier: 2-for-5, 3B, R
Kyle Roller: 1-for-5, RBI
Cody Johnson: 1-for-4, HR
Neil Medchill: 1-for-4
Brett Marshall: 5 IP, 4 H, R, ER, BB, 6 SO
Kramer Sneed: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, SO
Preston Claiborne: 3 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO

Low-A: West Virginia 6, Charleston 4

Eduardo Sosa: 1-for-5, R, outfield assist
Anderson Feliz: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI
Kevin Mahoney: 2-for-4, 2B, R
Gary Sanchez: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Ramon Flores: 2-for-4
Jose Toussen: 3-for-4, 2B, R, SB
Zach Nuding: 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 2 SO
Mark Montgomery: IP, H, 0 R, BB, 0 SO

Gulf Coast League: Yankees 12, Braves 9

Claudio Custodio: 1-for-5, R, RBI, SB
Jose Rosario: 2-for-5, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, SB
Dante Bichette: 4-for-4, 2B, R, RBI
Yeicok Calderon: 1-for-3, 3B, R, 3 RBI
Damian Taveras: 2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI
Jorge Alcantara: 1-for-3, R, RBI, BB, SB
Fu-Lin Kuo: 2-for-2, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, SB
Zach Varce: 3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, SO
Evan Rutckyj: 3 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO

Dominican Summer League 1: Mets 8, Yankees 4

Rafael Polo: 2-for-5, R
Ericson Leonora: 1-for-4, 2B, R, 3 RBI
Yamiel Orozco: 2-for-4, 2B
Mikeson Oliberto: 1-for-5
Jose Lopez: 2-for-2, R
Jose Polanco: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB