Dirtbags Baseball - Long Beach State 49ers

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Thursday, December 22, 2005

More Former Dirtbags In MinorLeagueBaseball.com's Organizational Reports

Picking up where I left off in October, from MinorLeagueBaseball.com's Organizational Report on the Angels:

2004 draft recap

How the top three from 2004 fared in their first full season of pro ball (The Angels' second pick in 2004, Patrick White, did not sign, so below are the top three picks who are in the Angels system.).

1. Jered Weaver, RHP
It took a while, but Weaver eventually did sign and made his way up to Double-A and then to the Arizona Fall League. Between the California and Texas Leagues -- both hitters' havens -- Jeff's younger brother went 7-4 with a 3.91 ERA, striking out 95 and walking 26 in 76 innings. Overall, he held hitters to a .231 batting average...

From the Organizational Report on the Milwaukee Brewers:

2005 draft recap...

5. Steve Hammond, LHP
The Long Beach State product pitched at three levels after signing, beginning in Helena and ending with Brevard County. Combined, the southpaw had a 2.27 ERA in 67 1/3 IP, walking 14 and striking out 64 while holding hitters to a .233 batting average.

And on the San Diego Padres:

Cinderella Story

Paul McAnulty, OF
McAnulty's fourth season in the Padres system may have been his best, and that's saying something considering he lead the Pioneer League in hitting in 2002 and was the organization's Player of the Year in 2004. The 24-year-old Californian was hitting .301 with 10 homers and 38 RBIs in 67 games at Double-A Mobile before getting his first Major League call-up in June. He got a couple singles in nine at-bats with San Diego before returning to the Southern League, where he won the All-Star Game Home Run Derby. From there, he was promoted to Portland and was an absolute hitting machine while also transitioning to what is likely to be his Major League position, first base. McAnulty hit .344 with six homers and 27 RBIs in 38 games for the Beavers, posting an OBP of .405 and a SLG of .563. He didn't go consecutive games without a hit during his six-week stay in the PCL. He rejoined the parent team in September, going 3-for-15....

2005 draft recap...

2. Cesar Ramos, LHP
The second college pitcher taken by the Pads in the first round, Ramos came with far less fanfare than Carrillo, and a considerably cheaper price tag ($950,000 compared to Carrillo's ($1.55 M). Ramos was a veritable no-name compared to his Long Beach State predecessors, Jered Weaver, Jason Vargas and Abe Alvarez. Historically successful due largely to his command and accuracy, Ramos struggled a bit at Eugene (0-1, 6.53 ERA in six games) when he walked seven in 20 2/3 innings in addition to allowing batters to hit .303 off him. But a promotion to the Midwest League seemed to help, as the 21-year-old lefty went 3-2 with a 4.19 ERA in 38 2/3 innings, walking just seven vs. 32 strikeouts.

From the Organizational Report on the San Francisco Giants:

2004 draft recap

How the top three from 2004 fared in their first full season of pro ball...

2. John Bowker, OF
Bowker has been touted as one of the best pure hitters in San Francisco's system, thanks in large part to his excellent hand-eye coordination. But the 2005 season was a struggle for the Long Beach State product, despite hitting in a stacked San Jose lineup. He batted .267 and his OBP was just .319, with a walk-to-strikeout ratio of 36-to-108. These numbers are extensions of his stats in college, where, even though he hit .323, he struck out 76 times in 381 at-bats. Bowker turned on the power late in the season, hitting eight of his 13 long balls in his final 24 games, including five in the last eight. Defensively, he committed just four errors in 104 games.

Here's their take on the Seattle Mariners:

Five Faves

At the start of the season, MLB.com identified five prospects to keep an eye on. Here's how they fared in 2005:...

Jeremy Reed, OF
The overall offensive numbers don't seem all that impressive: .254 average, .352 slugging, 12 steals (but 11 caught), just three homers and 45 RBIs (though only 74 strikeouts). But those numbers don't really tell the full story on the steadying influence of Reed's rookie season. He played 148 games and started 129 in the outfield, committing just three errors while covering Safeco's vast center field. There are those who thought he was the best defensive outfielder in the American League this season. He should continue to grow as the young M's do.

And last, but not least, the Washington Nationals:

2005 draft recap...

4. Marco Estrada, RHP
The Long Beach State product worked his way into pro ball by splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen in Vermont. He had some success, going 1-3 with a 5.08 ERA in nine games (six starts). His 37 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings is an attention-getter. He uses a low-90s fastball and a sharp curve to get the job done.

posted on 12/22/2005 by Jeff Agnew

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