Dirtbags Baseball - Long Beach State 49ers

It's Deja Vu All Over Again

2006-03-01T09:45:00.000-08:00

Former Dirtbag LHP Jason Vargas will start for the Florida Marlins in an exhibition against the Univ. of Miami Hurricanes today at the Marlins' spring training facility in Jupiter, Florida. It won't be the first time Jason has pitched against the 'Canes. On the Dirtbags 3 game trip to Miami ending the 2004 regular season, Jason took the loss on Sunday, May 29, as the Hurricanes swept the Beach. Vargas went 6 innings, allowing 6 ER on 5 hits, while stiking out 6 and walking 4. He did go 4 for 4 at the plate, including a 2 run homer, and scored 2 runs. [Box Score]. I'm sure he's looking for a better result today!

P.S. Fortunately, I sure the umpires will be from among the ranks of MLB/MiLB professionals, rather than the local yokels who called that 2004 series.

Carpenter Featured In Hometown Paper

2006-03-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

There's a nice feature on junior RHP Andrew "Drew" Carpenter here in his hometown Vacaville Reporter.

Dirtbags Hold At #15 In NCBWA Poll

2006-02-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

The Beach remains 15th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Assn. poll this week. The Rice Owls, defeated by Long Beach State 4-1 in the Coca Cola Classic tournament at Rice in Houston on February 18, moves to #1 in the poll.

McAnulty Featured

2006-02-27T16:29:00.000-08:00

Former Dirtbag Paul McAnulty is featured in this piece on the San Diego Padres website at MLB.com.

Andrew Carpenter Named Big West Pitcher of the Week Again

2006-02-27T15:31:00.000-08:00

Junior RHP Andrew Carpenter was named the Big West Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week today, after his 1 hitter against Illinois-Chicago. He also earned the honor last week.

Beach Is 15th In ESPN/Sports Weekly Coachs' Poll

2006-02-27T14:24:00.000-08:00

The 1st in season ESPN/Sports Weekly poll of Division I coaches is out, and the Dirtbags are ranked 15th (up from 20th pre-season).

'Bags Douse Flames

2006-02-27T11:18:00.000-08:00

Friday, February 24, 2006: Dirtbags 5, UIC 3
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. UIC Website. Long Beach Press-Telegram. Daily Breeze.

Saturday, February 25, 2006: Dirtbags 6, UIC 0
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. UIC Website. Daily Breeze. Long Beach Press-Telegram.

Sunday, February 26, 2006: Dirtbags 10, UIC 0
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. UIC Website. Long Beach Press-Telegram. 6-4-2 Blog post, and Photos.

The week/series: Baseball America's Top 25 Tracker.

The highlight of the weekend was junior RHP Andrew Carpenter's 1 hitter on Saturday. I wrote it up here. There was a correction on the LongBeachState.com story...I'll add it to mine here: In the early '90s Steve Whitaker and Dennis Gray also threw 1 hitters.

The box score for the game on Sunday is 1 of the stranger ones I've seen, with the Dirtbags and Flames both having 7 hits, but Long Beach State scoring a 10-0 shutout victory. The difference, in part, was 5 errors for Illinois-Chicago leading to 5 unearned runs, and a 7 run 2nd inning. The Dirtbags played error free, and turned 2 double plays. 2 of their 7 hits went for doubles (by Edgar Sedano and Jose Hernandez), and they got 3 sac flies (Evan Longoria, Brandon Godfrey and Scott Bradley). The Beach left only 3 on base, while the Flames stranded 6. To state the obvious, good defense, timely hitting, and execution wins games.

On the weekend, the Dirtbags made the most of their opportunities, scoring 21 runs on 26 hits. Kip Masuda hit his 1st homerun as a 49er on Saturday, the only 1 hit during the series by either side. He also had a double in the game, and 3 RBI. Three other 49ers had multiple hits Saturday, including Evan Longoria (3 for 4), Matt Cline (2 for 3), and Brandon Godfrey (2 for 4).

Freshman RHP Vance Worley got his 1st win as a Dirtbag Sunday, going 8 innings and allowing just 6 hits and no runs (striking out 2, and walking 1). He pitched well enough to win a week earlier, making this his 2nd solid start in a row.

Senior outfielder Sean Boatright missed the series with a "tweaked" back.

Long Beach State's team batting average now stands at .298, with 6 players hitting over .300 (Evan Longoria at .439 [18-41], Kip Masuda at .412 [7-17], Scott Bradley at .364 [8-22], Matt Cline at .333 [3-9], Brandon Godfrey at .324 [11-34], and Danny Espinosa at .306 [15-49])

Update: Andrew Carpenter is featured in this week's Baseball America Three Strikes column.

Dirtbags Ranked #16

2006-02-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

Long Beach State is now ranked 16th in both Baseball America (from 18th last week) and Collegiate Baseball (from 17th), after going 3-0 against Illinois-Chicago at Blair Field.

Andrew Carpenter Tosses Complete Game 1 Hitter

2006-02-25T17:38:00.000-08:00

I'll do the full recap on the weekend on Monday as usual. But for a school known for great pitching, junior RHP Andrew Carpenter's performance against the Illinois-Chicago Flames today was truly remarkable. In a 9 inning complete game, won by the Dirtbags 6-0, Andrew gave up 1 hit, struck out 8, and 1 walk. He faced 1 over the minimum. 60 of 94 pitches went for strikes. It's the 1st complete game 1 hitter by a Long Beach State pitcher since Dan Danielson's in 1979. On the season, Andrew is now 2-0, with a 1.29 ERA over 28 innings and 4 starts. He's struck out 23, and walked just 4, holding opponents to a .167 average. [Box Score][LongBeachState.com story].

San Diego Dirtbags Sign Contracts

2006-02-25T17:35:00.000-08:00

Former Dirtbags Terrmel Sledge and Paul McAnulty have signed one year deals with the San Diego Padres.

Former Dirtbags On John Sickels' Prospects Lists

2006-02-24T14:40:00.000-08:00

John Sickels at MinorLeagueBall.com picks Marco Estrada as the #18 prospect in the Washington National's system. And Abe Alvarez as #13 with the Boston Red Sox. Steve Hammond and Adam Heether with the Milwaukee Brewers don't make his top 20, but get a mention as legit prospects. Jered Weaver comes in at #4 with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. With the Chicago Cubs, Russ Rohlicek is #18 (unless the Cubs have another Rohlicek named Rick). More to come.

Talkin' Tulo

2006-02-24T14:20:00.000-08:00

From Mayo's Mailbag at MinorLeagueBaseball.com (hat tip to reader Rhonda):

What can we expect from Omar Quintanilla and Luis A. Gonzalez this year? And what is the future of second base for the Rockies? Could Clint Barmes ultimately end up there with Troy Tulowitzki replacing him as the Rockies long-term shortstop? -- Galen, Minnesota

Yes, to the second question. I think Troy Tulowitzki will be their shortstop before the season's over. At the very least, he'll be there Opening Day 2007. And he's a shortstop. Barmes is probably going to have to move. The Rockies have so much depth there, he's going to be looking over his shoulder a bit. ... You can never have too much help up the middle and they've certainly stockpiled there. I do see a scenario for next year at the latest where Tulowitzki plays short and Barmes plays second.

Vargas Loses Locks

2006-02-24T14:02:00.000-08:00

Former Dirtbag Jason Vargas is featured in this piece in the Miami Herald. Excerpts:

Left-hander Jason Vargas -- who started last season at low Class A -- has a 'leg up' on the competition to make the Marlins' rotation.
BY CLARK SPENCER

JUPITER - A.J. Burnett, Paul Lo Duca and Todd Jones pleaded with Jason Vargas to leave his hair long after he was called up from the minors last season, and the young lefty bowed to their request. But those teammates are gone, and so too is the coif.

''It's kind of something a few of the guys told me to keep last year, so I really had no choice,'' Vargas said.

"But I didn't want to come into spring training looking shaggy like I did last year, because it's always best to make a good first impression.''

Vargas did that Tuesday when he threw his first bullpen session of the spring in front of new Marlins manager Joe Girardi. But it wasn't the do that caught Girardi's eye. It was his steely glare.

''He's got that look in his eyes that he's going to get you out,'' Girardi said. "And that's not a look everyone has. I like that look.''...

Vargas wasn't invited to the Marlins' major-league camp last spring. There were no openings in the rotation, and the team figured Vargas, their second-round pick out of Long Beach State in 2004, needed more seasoning in the minors even though they didn't think it would take him long to reach the majors.

But nobody thought he would make the climb so fast.

Vargas started the 2005 season at low A Greensboro (N.C.) and, after just five starts, was promoted to Single A Jupiter. He made nine starts with the Hammerheads before being elevated to Double A Carolina. Then, after making three starts there, the Marlins called Vargas up in mid-July when they lost patience with Al Leiter and released him.

Vargas was thrust into the rotation and reeled off five wins in his first six decisions.

''I think there was a certain air of confidence that he had and the team had in him, which is a positive,'' Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest said. "He handled himself well, showed a lot of poise and was very competitive.''...

When he was with the Dirtbags, the way that Jason always battled impressed me the most. Apparently his employers agree.

Flames Blow In From The Windy City

2006-02-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

The Dirtbags are home against Illinois-Chicago this weekend. Friday will be the 1st meeting ever between them. The Flames won the Horizon League championship tournament last season, securing an automatic berth in the Regional field. UIC went 0-2 in the Lincoln Regional, losing 2 close games against tough competition - 8-6 against Nebraska, and 9-7 against North Carolina. They finished the season 38-21-1. They play 'Ole Miss next weekend, and 2007 non-conference opponents include Georgia Tech and Tennessee.

The matchup tonight could be interesting. The Flames start junior RHP Zach Peterson (0-0, 0.00) against junior RHP Jared Hughes (2-0, 3.86). Peterson was named to the College Baseball Foundation National Honor Roll for the week of February 21 [pdf], with these comments:

Zach Peterson, Illinois-Chicago, P - Peterson, who went 10-1 in 2005, held the Creighton Bluejays hitless until Chris Gradoville hit a solid single up the middle with two down in the fourth. That would be all the Jays would get, as Peterson finished with a no-decision after seven scoreless frames, allowing just four hits. Creighton was held scoreless through eight innings, but tied Illinois-Chicago in the ninth, 2-2, only to fall in the 10th inning on Jake Carr's single at Hohokam Park in Mesa, Arizona.

The Dirtbags' junior RHP Andrew Carpenter was named to the same list with this:

Andrew Carpenter, Long Beach State, P - Went seven strong innings, striking out a career-best eight and giving up only one run on three hits, as the 49ers topped Rice in their own Coca-Cola Classic Tournament in Houston. Carpenter walked two and used just 103 pitches in topping Owl's All American Joe Savery, leaving with a 4-1 cushion.

There's a nice piece in the Long Beach Press-Telegram featuring Andrew, with a little history on Dirtbags Saturday starters.

The LongBeachState.com weekly release is here in html, and here as a pdf file. The Illinois-Chicago release is here in html, and here as a pdf.

Update: The Long Beach Press-Telegram has a piece today on the Dirtbags' progress 10 games into the season.

Former Dirtbag Shortstop Report

2006-02-23T13:46:00.000-08:00

Former Dirtbag, and current Oakland A, Bobby Crosby has been sidelined with a sore shoulder.

Former Dirtbag Troy Tulowitzki, the Rockies 1st round pick in '05, comes in at #25 on Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list, with the comment (from an anonymous scout) that "He's better than Bobby Crosby". True, or not, it says alot for the shortstops coming out of the Beach lately. Hat tip to reader NinerDave.

Update: Be sure to take a look at the comment left by reader Chris Jackson concerning Evan Longoria's draft status.

Hometown Paper Features John Bowker

2006-02-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

Former Dirtbag John Bowker is featured in this Sacramento Bee piece:

Giants notes: For now, Rio grad must wait out things
By Nick Peters -- Bee Staff Writer

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Tony Torcato's career with the Giants has ended as the unsigned free-agent outfielder continues to search for baseball work, and the former first-round draft choice has been replaced by another valley boy in camp.

He's outfielder John Bowker, 22, who has batted .295 with 19 home runs and 94 RBIs in 162 games in the lower minors the past two seasons after starring at Rio Americano High School and Long Beach State.

A three-sport athlete as a prep, Bowker went to Long Beach after setting season records at Rio Americano with a .463 average, 41 hits, eight home runs and 41 RBIs. He batted .323 in three college seasons and was a third-round draft choice of the Giants.

"I have no timetable for reaching the bigs," said Bowker, whose 27 doubles, 13 homers and 67 RBIs helped Class-A San Jose win the California League title last season. "This is my second big-league camp, and we'll just see what happens."

Bowker, whose father, Brite, was a tennis player at Lewis & Clark College in Oregon, spent the winter working out in Sacramento and with college buddies in Long Beach. He's hopeful of starting the season at Double-A Norwich, Conn.

A left-handed hitter, Bowker is more or less lost in the shuffle now, but with veteran Giants outfielders close to drawing Social Security, there's always hope he'll reach the bigs with the team he followed as a youngster.

"I was a Giants fan, and my favorite player was Barry Bonds," he said. "I played with (pitcher) Jered Weaver at Long Beach, so I was the other guy. My best memory was beating Stanford to reach the NCAA [Super Regional].

"I had a couple of hits, including a homer, but we missed going to Omaha (the College World Series) when Arizona beat us. Of course, winning the Cal League title was a lot of fun, too."

Former Dirtbag Jered Weaver...

2006-02-22T10:13:00.000-08:00

...is ranked as the #57 prospect by Baseball America.

Update: Jered comes in at #35 on the Baseball Prospectus list (I picked this up at 6-2-4 Blog).

Odds and Ends

2006-02-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

Former Dirtbag Jeremy Reed comes in at 81st on Tim Dierkes Top 100 Outfielders for 2006 list at the Hardball Times, with these comments:

Jeremy Reed: Reed garnered accolades mainly for his defense in his rookie season, as he wasn't the .300 hitter many forecasts called for. He'll improve across the board in '06, and could become David DeJesus with more SBs eventually. For now I predict .270-10-55 with 78 runs and 17 steals. He's certainly capable of beating my runs and batting average projections and vaulting up this list in '06.

Former Dirtbag Jason Vargas is featured in this piece at TCPalm.com (free registration required):

JUPITER - Florida Marlins pitcher Jason Vargas barely pitched enough innings last year to eliminate his status as a rookie. Yet Vargas is one of the few left on the Marlins roster after an offseason overhaul.

Vargas finished 5-5 with a 4.03 earned-run average in 2005.

"I don't know if I'd call myself a veteran," Vargas said Saturday, the day the Marlins' pitchers and catchers reported.

The 23-year-old would not even guarantee himself a spot in the starting rotation in 2006, noting that the Marlins have talent, though they don't have much experience. That doesn't mean he will shy away from the spotlight this year.

"I always have high expectations for myself," he said. "But I'm not going to try to do anything different out there."

Vargas also has high expectations for his team, even if several pundits have picked the Marlins to finish toward the bottom of the league. The Marlins' second-round pick in 2004 won't have any part of the negativity.

"If you're thinking that way, you shouldn't be here," Vargas said.

Vargas could help the Marlins rebuild quickly. He had a productive season and won two of his last three starts last year.

Here's a piece I missed before on the Dirtbags victory over Lamar in the Beaumont Enterprise, entitled "Long Beach Pummels Lamar Pitching".

Boat Talks

2006-02-21T15:27:00.000-08:00

Hat tip to reader Dave for passing along this piece from RosenblattReport.com:

Boatright knows the way

Kendall Rogers

Long Beach State outfielder Sean Boatright has seen his role as a leader increase this season, thanks to the exit of several key players from last year's club.

It's a challenge that he has welcomed with open arms during the first two weeks of the season.

Boatright got his 2006 campaign started on the right foot in week one, as he lead the Dirtbags back to beat Southern California in three straight contests.

For the year, Boatright is hitting .308 with two homers and 7 RBI in 26 at bats.

While the Dirtbags hit the ball well in their opening series with the Trojans, they have cooled off in their last three games against California and Pepperdine.

The Dirtbags' competition doesn't get any easier this weekend, as they hit the road to compete in the Coca-Cola Classic in Houston. Among others, Coach Mike Weathers' club will face top-ranked Rice and an Oklahoma team that hopes to continue their winning ways.

The Beach is expected to throw staff ace Jared Hughes in their first game against Lamar, while opting to send Andrew Carpenter to the hill to face the top-ranked Owls. The Dirtbags will wrap up the tournament with Oklahoma, where they are expected to throw Vance Worley.

We talked to one of Long Beach State's key players about this weekend, the season to-date and beyond.

After two weekends of play, what are your thoughts on the team heading into the tournament at Rice?

Sean Boatright: The first weekend of our season was outstanding, as we played flawless baseball for the most part against Southern California. But in our series with California and single game against Pepperdine, the offense took a step back. We just need to go out there and turn it up a notch offensively. Our situational hitting must also improve to be successful. Overall, we have a few things that are worth worrying about right now, but overall, we know we can do it as a team, and are committed to doing just that.

Talk about your role on the team and how it has increased with the departure of a few players from last year's squad?

SB: One thing I set out to do this spring is to become a more influential leader to the other players on the team. I really enjoy having that role and it is something that I take great pride in. I think that knowing the system here is very important to being a leader and it's also critical to keep everyone on the same regiment during each week of the season. Overall, it's nice being a guy that a lot of younger players on the team ask questions to.

Long Beach State has long been known for their tremendous pitching. What are your thoughts on the weekend rotation and staff thus far?

SB: I thought they did an outstanding job of keeping us in the series against California. It was mainly our hitting that let us down in that three-game set. If the weekend starters go out there and throw like they are capable and we as an offense do what we are supposed to do, the future of this club should be very bright. Overall, I see our weekend rotation and pitching staff as one that doesn't make too many mistakes. That's not a bad attribute to have as a pitching staff.

What is the most impressive attribute of this year's team?

SB: The unity of this club is simply amazing. I've never seen a team this close together, but what might be most impressive is the fact that everyone is doing their part to bring more success to the program. During the past few seasons, we have relied on individuals to get things done. This year's club is not like that, as each player on the team is looking to take on an important role. It's definitely something that makes us feel good inside.

You have talked a lot about the offense. Is that a particular area that should be a cause for concern after the last three games?

SB: At this point, I really don't think so. It is all about us going out there and playing our game on a consistent basis. We showed against Southern California that we can hit the baseball, so we just need to go out there and do it. Personally, I think it all boils down to doing the little things right. If we do that, we will be fine this weekend and beyond. My advice for the guys this weekend is to have fun and do the little things right.

Former Dirtbag Neil Jamison...

2006-02-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

is featured in this piece at SFDugout.com (originally published at MadFriars.com):

Scouting Padres Prospect: Neil Jamison

By Denis Savage
Date: Feb 17, 2006

It is not often that a first-year setup man gets clumped into top prospect status. But Neil Jamison showed the poise of a major league veteran in his professional debut and is headed for San Diego as quick as a fish taco.

A year after going in the eighth round to the Mets, the Padres snatched Neil Jamison in round six from Long Beach State. His selection was preceded by an impressive run with the 49ers during his senior season - posting an ERA of 0.00 in 29.1 innings.

His success, therefore, wasn't a surprise in the Padres' system.

In his first 16 relief appearances for the Eugene Emeralds, the right-hander yielded just one earned run. And he ended his Northwest League stint with four earned runs allowed over 25 appearances that spanned 27.1 innings.

With runners in scoring position he gave up just two hits in 26 at bats and of the 23 hits he allowed just three went for extra bases.

It was simply tough to put good wood on the pitches he was throwing and he wound up striking out 31 while walking eight before his promotion for Fort Wayne.

Jamison has a three-quarters delivery and sports a fastball, slider and changeup. His fastball rides in the high eighties but it has a lot of sink and his slider has enough tilt to make a poker player jealous.

"He has a fastball that sinks and a slider that he locates," Bill Gayton, the Padres director of scouting, said. "He has the makeup to continue advancing. He does not have real big velocity but has good tilt to his slider and a fastball with movement."

The San Diego native didn't run into trouble until he reached Fort Wayne and that was one outing. Five of the 11 hits and two of the three runs he surrendered in ten innings of work came in one appearance. His very next outing produced five outs all by way of the strikeout.

The 22-year old prospect did have some troubles against left-handed hitters through the year - he limited righties to a .207 average but lefties batted .288.

Jamison brings a measure of poise to the mound and is not afraid to attack and challenge hitters. Given his closing mentality, he comes in firing on all cylinders.

When we asked a prospect to name a sleeper on his team - the answer was easy:

"Neil Jamison, but I don't know if he's really a sleeper," fellow pitcher John Madden said.

After dominating the Instructional League - posting a 0.00 ERA and allowing four hits, no walks, while striking out eight, sleeper is not really the right term for the right-hander. And when he checked in at 19 on our top 60 it took a few by surprise - but not the Padres.

"Makeup is outstanding," added Gayton. "He did what he did at Long Beach State. A fastball/slider combo that gets people out."

Two more levels in 2006 will be what the Padres push for. Jamison has the pedigree to thrive under such conditions and could be the second player from this draft class - behind Cesar Carrillo - to make it to the majors.

"He is a guy who could move quickly through the system," Grady Fuson, the Padres vice president of scouting and player development, said. "He understands how to pitch and throws strikes."

Staying focused and continuing to be aggressive within the edges of the strike zone is on the agenda for Jamison. If he can do that with regularity, it won't be long before he is pitching in front of his hometown fans.

Dirtbags Enjoy Coca-Cola Classic

2006-02-21T13:47:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, February 14, 2006: Pepperdine 3, Dirtbags 2
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. Pepperdine Website.

Friday, February 17, 2006: Dirtbags 11, Lamar 6
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. Lamar Website. Long Beach Press-Telegram. Daily Breeze.

Saturday, February 18, 2006: Dirtbags 4, Rice 1
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. Rice Website. Daily Breeze. Long Beach Press-Telegram. Houston Chronicle.

Sunday, February 19, 2006: Oklahoma 2, Dirtbags 1
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. Oklahoma Website. The Norman Transcript. Long Beach Press-Telegram.

The week/series: Baseball America's Top 25 Tracker.

Things go better with Coke! At least at Rice's Reckling Park. On the week, the Dirtbags were 2-2. After losing last Tuesday to Pepperdine, they traveled to Houston for the Coca-Cola Classis Tournament where they went 2-1 with victories over Lamar and #5 Rice (Baseball America rankings). They lost the finale to Oklahoma. On the week, pitching was excellent, hitting was inconsistent, and defense was...well, not so good.

Pitching: Over 33 innings, the staff allowed just 9 earned runs, for a 2.45 ERA. Andrew Carpenter's effort against Rice on Saturday (3 hits, 8 Ks, 2 BB, 1 run [earned]) merited BWC Pitcher of the Week honors (see below). Donnie Hume notched his 3rd save in the game, going 2.0 innings (2 hits, 1 K, 1 BB) while holding the Owls scoreless. Freshman Vance Worley had his best outing on Sunday, going 6.0 innings and allowing just 2 runs (both earned; 6 hits, 3 Ks, 2 BB). He took the loss when the Beach could muster only 1 run on 7 hits.

Hitting: Hot and cold. Against Pepperdine, the 49ers had 2 runs on 5 hits (5 for 28). On Sunday, it was 7 for 32, and just 1 runs, against Oklahoma. In the game against Rice, the Beach was just 6 for 28 but timely hitting was the key as LBSU scored 4 runs. But it was 11 runs on 16 hits (16 for 37) off Lamar pitching. Evan Longoria hit .538 (7 for 13) on the week, with 6 walks (a 1.000 on base percentage). He earned Player of the Week honors in the Big West (see below). Against Lamar, Scott Bradley went 4 for 5, with 3 RBI.

Fielding: Uncharacteristically, the Dirtbags committed at least 1 error in each of the 4 games, and a total of 7. They were spread around, with errors by 4 different players. Against Lamar, they had 4, leading to 3 unearned runs. On the plus side, no error led to a loss.

Finally, from the Long Beach Press-Telegram:

The Long Beach State baseball team claimed both the Big West Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week awards.

Third baseman Evan Longoria was named Player of the Week. He hit .538 in the 49ers' wins over Lamar and Rice in the Coca Cola Classic in Houston. He went 7 for 11 in the three games LBSU played in the tournament and had four walks.

Right-hander Andrew Carpenter was named Pitcher of the Week. He allowed one run and three hits in seven innings Saturday to help the Dirtbags beat fifth-ranked Rice on its own field. He struck out eight and walked two.

Former Dirtbag Brad Davis...

2006-02-21T09:20:00.000-08:00

...is featured in this piece at MLB.com. Here's some excerpts:

Davis caught by early catching bug
Florida prospect hopes lifelong love will trump size issues
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com

JUPITER, Fla. -- Brad Davis was only 5 or 6 years old -- he can't remember which -- growing up on the southern California coast, when his parents took him to the local Toys 'R Us to pick out a birthday present. What Davis chose surprised his parents, but they still bought it for him, setting the stage for what has become a lifelong obsession.

It wasn't a Hot Wheels car or a Power Ranger or a G.I. Joe that Davis snagged that day in the toy store. Rather, he grabbed a catcher's mask, surely not knowing as a child that he would someday be sitting in the clubhouse at Roger Dean Stadium, adjusting the catching equipment he hopes will someday provide his ticket to the Major Leagues.

"My parents tell that story all the time," said Davis, 23, whom the Marlins selected out of Long Beach State in the fifth round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft. "They told me I could get one thing, just one thing and I got a catcher's mask. I guess catching was just in my blood."

Having catching in one's blood is a good trait to have, especially since Davis is part of an organization that isn't exactly rife with catching prospects. Miguel Olivo and Josh Willingham are battling for the top spot behind the plate with the parent club this spring. But a strong showing over the next few weeks could put Davis in a favorable position for the future, especially if he can impress Florida's new manager, former catcher Joe Girardi....

For many of the pitchers with whom he's worked, Davis' size doesn't seem to matter, either. He caught Jered Weaver (first round, Angels, 2004), Abe Alvarez (second round, Boston, 2003) and Jason Vargas (second round, Marlins, 2004) while at Long Beach State, helping the Dirtbags staff post a 3.11 ERA, which was fourth best in the nation. He's also caught Taylor Tankersley (first round, Marlins, 2004) since being drafted and was behind the plate for Cesar Ramos (first round, Padres, 2005) when he was at LBS.

"He's a great guy to throw to," Vargas said. "I've thrown to him a couple of years now between college and the Minors, and he's a great guy behind the plate. I trust throwing to him. His size hasn't been an issue for me. He just might not have grown into his body yet. He's still young, like all of us here. But he's learned how to call and catch from a great pitching coach [Troy Buckley at LBS]. And for me, personally, he calls a good game."...

Dirtbags Move Up And Down In Rankings

2006-02-21T09:10:00.000-08:00

After a 2-2 week, with a midweek loss against #16 Pepperdine, and a win Saturday against #5 Rice (both Baseball America rankings) in their yard at the Coca-Cola Classic tourny, the Dirtbags moved down in 2 rankings, and up in 1. The Beach went from 19th to 18th in the Baseball America rankings, while falling from 15th to 17th in Collegiate Baseball, and 11th to 15th in National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Assn.

Surf's Up

2006-02-14T09:01:00.000-08:00

Here's the LongBeachState.com weekly release in pdf and html.

The Dirtbags travel to Malibu to take on Pepperdine this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. The Waves are 14th in Collegiate Baseball and 16th in the Baseball America rankings. Southpaw Donnie Hume (0-0, 1.50, 2 saves) will start for the Beach. Sophomore RHP Barry Enright (0-1, 11.42) will go for hosts. Pepperdine's release is here in html, and here as a pdf file.

The Dirtbags remain at #11 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Assn. poll this week.

Dirtbags Drop Series Against Cal, 2-1

2006-02-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

Friday, February 10, 2006: Dirtbags 7, Cal 6
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. Cal Website. Long Beach Press-Telegram. Daily Breeze. Napa Valley Register.

Saturday, February 11, 2006: Cal 3,Dirtbags 2
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. Cal Website. Daily Breeze. Long Beach Press-Telegram.

Sunday, February 12, 2006: Cal 4, Dirtbags 1
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. Cal Website.

The series: Baseball America's Top 25 Tracker.

After sweeping USC, the Dirtbags lost their 1st series of the season at Cal, 2-1, and now stand at 4-2 on the year. The opening contest saw the Beach jump out to a 3-1 lead in the 2nd. After Cal tied the game at 4 in the 5th, the 49ers put 3 across in the top of the 6th. Final score, 7-6 Dirtbags. Centerfielder Robert Perry was the offensive star, going 4 for 5, with 2 RBI and a run scored. Three other Dirtbags collected 2 hits each: Sean Boatright, Brandon Godfrey and Tito Cruz. Sean and Tito both had doubles. Scott Turmail got the win, going 1.2 innings, giving up no runs, no walks and a single hit, after Jared Hughes' early departure (4.1 IP, 7 hits, 4 runs, 3 earned, 3 walks, 1 K, 1 HBP). Donnie Hume got his 2nd save (1.2 IP, no hits, 1 walk, no runs).

The story Saturday and Sunday, for the most part, was that the Dirtbags cooled at the plate. Against USC, the Beach had 21 runs on 34 hits. Friday against Cal, it was 7 runs on 13 hits. Over those 4 games, the average was 7 runs on 11.75 hits. For Saturday and Sunday against the Bears, combined, the Dirtbags scored just 3 runs on 13 hits. The frustration peaked on Sunday, as Long Beach State collected 8 hits, and 4 walks, yet scored only a single run while leaving 9 runners stranded.

Andrew Carpenter's effort on Saturday was wasted, as he went 7.0 innings, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits. He struck out 2, while walking 1. Brett Andrade came on in relief in the 8th, facing the minimum. But in the 9th, the Bears hit back to back homeruns for the 3-2 victory.

Coming into the season, the bullpen was one of the biggest question marks. Despite the blown save on Saturday, the relievers have performed well thus far. In the loss on Sunday, Shane Peterson and Bryan Shaw both came on for an inning and held Cal in check to give the 'Bags a chance to come back. Neither allowed a run or hit. Six games into the season, the bullpen as a group is 3-1, with a 2.21 ERA, allowing 5 earned runs over 20.1 innings (and 4 saves against 1 blown save).

The Dirtbags fall back to 19th in the Baseball America rankings (from 17th), and to 15th in the Collegiate Baseball poll (from 12th). National Collegiate Baseball Writer's is not yet updated, and ESPN/Sports Weekly (the coaches poll) is not yet updating to in season polling from its pre-season poll.

Make It 4-0

2006-02-10T17:23:00.000-08:00

The Dirtbags open the season 4-0, after their scrappy victory over Cal on the road in the opening game of a 3 game weekend set. It wasn't pretty, but they got the job done. Here's the line:

       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  R   H  E
LBSU   0  3  0  0  1  3  0  0  0  7  13  2
Cal.   0  1  0  0  3  0  2  0  0  6  12  2

More later.

Dirtbag Outfielder Sean Boatright...

2006-02-10T07:43:00.000-08:00

...is featured in this piece in the Long Beach Press-Telegram. Here's an excerpt:

The Florida Marlins drafted [Sean] Boatright, who was the Big West Conference player of the week for his sterling play (4 for 10, five RBI) in a season-opening sweep of USC last weekend, in the 36th round, rather low for a muscular power hitter who has five-tool skills.

No other team would bite because of a disc problem in his back that has dogged him since 2002. The Marlins were sincerely interested but couldn't get medical clearance from their physicians to make him a representative offer.

"They were real straight with me," Boatright said this week before heading to Berkeley for a three-game series against Cal starting tonight. "They were interested but their doctors weren't confident of my health history.

"They've seen me play and their scouts know what I can do, and they're still interested. I'm healthy. They just figured it would be to my benefit to play another year."

Boatright falls into the draft-and-follow category the Marlins have his rights up to the start of the 2006 draft. If he has the kind of season of which he's capable, he can improve his stock financially well above what he was offered last year. He could either sign with the Marlins or re-enter the 2006 draft.

"I had no problem coming back to play. I love the school and the program.," Boatright said. "But you play college ball to get in this position."

Sean falls under the draft and follow rule because he is a 5th year senior.

Next Up, Da Bears

2006-02-09T09:29:00.000-08:00

Here's Cal's release on the Dirtbags/Bears series this weekend at Evans Diamond in Berkeley [html][pdf].

Cal opened the season at Irvine, taking game 1, then dropping the Saturday and Sunday contests. A mid-week loss to the San Francisco Dons has them on a 3 game skid. But the Dirtbags will need to be ready Friday, when junior RHP Brandon Morrow goes for the Bears. Morrow, a Baseball America 3rd team pre-season All-American, and on the watch list for the Roger Clemens Award, was named National Pitcher of the Week by both Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and The Rosenblatt Report for his masterful outing against the Anteaters last weekend. Over 6.1 innings, he no-hit Irvine, allowing just 2 baserunners (on a walk, and hit batter). [Box Score]. Looks like another great matchup, and challenge, for Jared Hughes!

Dirtbags Move To 11th In NCBWA

2006-02-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

Long Beach State is now 11th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association rankings, up from 17th in their pre-season poll.

Another Blogger Chimes In

2006-02-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Here's Rob McMillin's (6-4-2 blog) take on Sunday's 3 game sweep clincher at Blair Field.

Talking Draft Already

2006-02-07T08:23:00.000-08:00

The season is hardly old enough for uniforms to be dirty. But that doesn't stop the draft prognosticators from doing their thing. Here's the take from Todd Morgan at Oakland Clubhouse:

The college and prep seasons are underway, which means it's time to start thinking about the 2006 draft class. Last year, I decided to project the first round based not only on player talent, but also on predicted 2006 performance, June draft order and organizational need. I was successful in some places (Jeff Clement to the Mariners at #3 overall and Mike Pelfrey to the Mets at #9) and not so successful in others (Sean O'Sullivan to the Devil Rays at #8 and Stephen Head to the Pirates at #11). For the second consecutive year, I've gone through scouting reports and watched a lot of video to bring you my early edition of the 2006 first round. Somewhere around the halfway point of the college and prep seasons I plan to write an updated first round projection, with a final projection to come in the week preceding the draft...

6. Detroit Tigers - Evan Longoria, SS, R/R, 6'2, 185, Long Beach State

Evan Longoria enters the 2006 season trying to become the next Long Beach State infielder to be taken in the first round after Bobby Crosby (Athletics, 2001) and Troy Tulowitzki (Rockies, 2005). He came of age last summer when he was named MVP of the Cape Cod League, hitting .299/.331/.500 with eight homers and 35 RBI with wooden bats. He generates tremendous loft with his swing, but doesn't have the polish of his Dirtbag predecessors. Still, his power is special and the Tigers will take him as a third baseman and look forward to seeing him reach Comerica Park's left-field seats on a regular basis...

28. Boston Red Sox - Jared Hughes, RHP, R/R, 6'7, 235, Long Beach State

The Sox follow up their Antonelli pick by taking another collegiate standout. Coming out of high school in 2003, Jared Hughes was a power pitcher with first round talent who consistently threw in the mid-90s. He didn't get the signing bonus he was after and wound up heading to college rather than signing with Tampa Bay after they took him in the 16th round. Since transferring to Long Beach from Santa Clara Hughes has learned to pitch. He now works in the low-90s with good sink on his fastball, changes speeds and uses all four corners of the strike zone to put hitters away. His height allows him to throw down at hitters and he's adept at keeping the ball around the knees when necessary. At the same time, he is effectively wild, hitting 19 batters but walking only 23 against 87 strikeouts in 89 innings last season. Six-foot seven and willing to come inside? That's pretty intimidating. He probably doesn't have a lot of room to improve, but he should make quick work of the minors on his way to a big league rotation spot...

As Rich Lederer at The Baseball Analysts notes, there were quite a few MLB scouts in attendance during the Dirtbags/USC series. The Padres Director of Scouting, Bill Gayton, was one of them, there to watch Evan Longoria and other Dirtbag prospects. MadFriars.com's Frankie Piliere interviewed Evan. Here's a few excerpts (the full article is in the paid area):

On his MVP season in the Cape Cod League in 2005: "That was a lot of fun playing there. It is a great atmosphere to play in and just gives you some great experiences. But, the most important thing for me was the talent that I had the opportunity to play with. When you play with guys that talented, it just makes you a better player because you have to elevate your game."

On the most important thing he's learned in college baseball: "I've learned the importance and value of work ethic. There is nothing more important than working hard. You can be the most talented guy in the world, but the guy who works harder is going to come out on top."

On his thoughts about the 2006 draft: "It is tough to keep off your mind because you know it isn't that far off. A lot of people like to speculate about where I'm going to be picked, but I know that stuff takes care of itself. So, I just let other people do that speculation and I'll just do my thing on the field."

Sean Boatright Named BWC Player Of The Week

2006-02-06T17:31:00.000-08:00

[Long Beach State.com story][Big West Conference Website]

.400 batting average. .538 on base percentage. .900 slugging percentage. 5 RBI. 3 runs scored. 2 doubles. 1 homerun. Not a bad weekend's work.

Update: Here's the Press-Telegram article from Tuesday morning on Sean's honor.

Sounds Good To Me

2006-02-06T17:24:00.000-08:00

Eric Sorenson had this to say after the Dirtbags swept USC (from CSTV.com):

It's a little scary to see The Beach sweep a high-profile opponent on the first weekend of the season, considering how often they start the season out slowly as transfers and newbies adjust to each other. Not this time. Although all three games were pretty close, move LB into the Top 15, maybe Top 10 after this weekend.

Dirtbags Trounce Trojans - Move Up In Rankings

2006-02-06T12:36:00.000-08:00

Friday, February 3, 2006: Dirtbags 4, USC 2
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. USC Website. Long Beach Press-Telegram. Daily Breeze. Orange County Register.

Saturday, February 4, 2006: Dirtbags 9, USC 6
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. USC Website. Daily Breeze. Los Angeles Daily News.

Sunday, February 5, 2006: Dirtbags 8, USC 6
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. USC Website. Long Beach Press-Telegram. Los Angeles Times.

On the series: The Baseball Analysts. Baseball America Top 25 Tracker.

On the strength of their season opening 3 game sweep of the Univ. of Southern California Trojans, the Dirtbags moved from 22nd to 17th in the Baseball America rankings, and 16th to 12th in Collegiate Baseball.

USC has not opened a season 0-3 since 1981. And Long Beach State has never swept a 3 game series with the Trojans. Until now. As usual, they did so with good pitching, posting a team 3.00 ERA for the series. But less familiar to fans of the Beach (at least in the recent past), they mashed the ball. As a team, Long Beach State hit .354 for the set, with a .429 on base percentage, and slugged at .552 (2 HR, 2 triples, 9 doubles). And 2 of the 3 games were at not so hitter friendly Blair Field (unless you count the fog assists on Friday night, to be fair). Perhaps most impressive, they came from behind late both Saturday and Sunday, in each case defeating pre-season All-American Paul Koss (0-2). Take a look at the stats for the individual numbers.

Okay, this is fun!

Off Dirtbags topic: I gotta give a hat tip to my law school alma mater, the Univ. of San Diego. The Toreros annihilated defending National Champions Texas in a 3 game sweep, by a combined score of 22-10 (including a 6-0 shutout on Saturday). Texas drops from 1st to 7th, and USD goes from unranked to 18th in Baseball America. And while we're talking sweeps, Stanford handed the Cal. State Fullerton Titans a 3 game sweep in Palo Alto, knocking Fullerton from 5th to 9th in the BA rankings.

Demaria Signs

2006-02-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

Former Dirtbag Chris Demaria has signed a 1 year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, to whom he was recently traded by the Royals.

Dirtbags Leave Trojans In A Fog

2006-02-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

Home field advantage took on a new meaning as the Beach beat USC 4-2 at Blair Field last night, aided by two fog assisted doubles. LongBeachState.com has the story, and the box score. The annual LBSU/USC series always brings out large crowds, but with the game being the season opener and the Jared Hughes - Ian Kennedy pitching matchup of potential 1st round draft picks, the Dirtbags had the largest regular season attendance in their history at 3,189.

One of the big questions for 2006 is who will fill the key bullpen rolls. We may have seen part of the answer last night with sophomore LHP Donnie Hume earning his first save for the black and gold. Hume set the Trojans down in order in the 9th. During his freshman year, Donnie made 11 appearances, including 2 weeknight starts, going 19 innings. He was 1-1, with a 2.37 ERA.

Donnie Hume, Jared Hughes, Andrew Liebel and Brett Andrade are the only returning pitchers from last season's squad.

Alumni Game Pics

2006-02-02T17:57:00.000-08:00

Rod McMillan (6-4-2 Angels/Dodgers Blog) has posted some pictures from the Dirtbags v. Pro Alumni Game.

Tomorrow, It Begins

2006-02-02T17:19:00.000-08:00

Chris Jackson (Daily Breeze) has a good piece on the Dirtbags' challenge this season, with 22 of 35 players having no Division I experience (including 13 freshmen).

LongBeachState.com weekly release: Dirtbags Open Season With USC [html][pdf]. This year the series is home/away/home. Tomorrow night at Blair Field features one of the best pitching matchups you'll see in college baseball - anywhere and anytime this season. The Dirtbags' RHP Jared Hughes takes on the Trojans RHP Ian Kennedy. Baseball America projects them both as 1st round draft picks in June, with Kennedy at #7 and Jared at #25. Add to that BA's projection of Evan Longoria as the 10th pick overall, and tomorrow's edition of Friday Night Lights at Blair may have 10% of 2006 1st rounders on the field.

Former Dirtbag Neil Jamison...

2006-02-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

...is featured in this piece at MLB.com (hat tip to reader Joe):

The final analysis won't be available for several years, but the Padres feel they mined a rich supply of gold in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, from first-round picks Cesar Carrillo and Cesar Ramos down through the ranks.

"We feel like it was a great draft," said Grady Fuson, the club's chief of scouting and development. "We got a lot of young players who have a shot at having outstanding careers."

Venturing forward with a bold new design under club president Sandy Alderson, the former A's championship architect who believes in building from within with a lush crop of farm hands, the Padres were thrilled with the early returns on their '05 draft class.

In our first installment, we focused on the top four picks: pitchers Carrillo and Ramos, third baseman Chase Headley and catcher Nick Hundley. This time around in "Four Prospects to Get Excited About," we'll zero in on nuggets found in later rounds...

RHP Neil Jamison
A sixth-round selection, No. 188 overall, Jamison teamed with Ramos on the Long Beach State pitching staff and is determined to join the lefty on the big club down the road. Here's a candidate to someday follow in Trevor Hoffman's history-making footsteps.

If first impressions are any indication, Jamison could make it to San Diego sooner than later to begin the grooming process.

He couldn't have been more dominant his senior year with the Dirtbags of Long Beach State. He was 4-0 with 11 saves and did not allow an earned run in 29 2/3 innings, limiting hitters to a .158 batting average.

Moving from the campus life to Eugene, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound right-hander was lights-out in 25 appearances. Across 27 1/3 innings, Jamison struck out 31 with eight walks. He saved eight games and was 1-2 with a 1.32 ERA.

Taking it up a notch at Fort Wayne, he continued to flourish with 12 strikeouts and five walks in 10 innings, going 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA. He could return to Fort Wayne to start the '06 season or move up a notch to Class A Lake Elsinore of the California League.

"He was a late-inning stud all through college and continued in his first pro year," Fuson said. "He has an 88-90 fastball with a good slider. He's an outstanding strike thrower, missing bats down in the zone with a low, three-quarters delivery. He has presence, confidence and instincts on the mound with a history of success."

The game is in Jamison's blood. His father, Tom, played baseball at Santa Clara, and his mother, Kathy, was a softball player at San Diego State.

The Padres are Neil's hometown team. He hails from Ramona, in North San Diego County. As a high school senior, he also showed he could hit, setting a school record with 11 homers while batting .429....

Personal Pro Alumni - Dirtbags Recap

2006-02-02T09:39:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the posting lull - it's been a busy week in the "real world".

Last Saturday, along with a few hundred other folks, I enjoyed an afternoon at Blair Field taking in the Dirtbags versus Pro Alumni Game. Now, I wouldn't exactly call it great baseball, but it was great fun. A few observations:

* Practice matters. The Alumni looked to be having fun, but they clearly were rusty. Whether it was Cesar Ramos sailing one to the backstop, or John Bowker muffing a flyball, it showed that these guys have been off for 2 or 3 months.

* It was good to see Jered Weaver trying to improve his versatility, what with taking the field in right 1 inning, then playing 2nd base the next. And shortstop, and 3rd base. And the trip to the plate...ughh...forgetaboutit..

* The Dirtbags really do have a lot of new players. Be sure to get a program this weekend, you'll need it!

* Bobby Crosby must really enjoy these exhibitions. Word in the stands was that he was in Oakland for A's fans at their annual FanFest Saturday, then hopped Jet Blue to Long Beach. Bobby was in an Alumni uniform (with Oakland green stirups) by the 2nd inning!

* How about Vance Worley no-hitting those guys who get paid to hit baseballs for 4 innings. And punching out Bobby Crosby on a wicked called strike down and in.

Sez Me...

2006-02-02T09:06:00.000-08:00

My Big West Conference Preview is up at The Baseball Analysts.

Tulo Invited To Big League Camp

2006-01-26T13:22:00.000-08:00

Former Dirtbag Troy Tulowitzki has been extended an invitation to the Colorado Rockies Major League spring training camp.

The Prognosticators Are Out In Force Now

2006-01-26T08:37:00.000-08:00

In their Pre-Season poll (and this one actually is a poll), USA TODAY/ESPN/ABCA picks the Dirtbags 20th. The poll is of 36 Division I college baseball coaches, including the Dirtbag's Mike Weathers.

Baseball America picks the Dirtbags to finish 2nd in the Big West, and predicts that Evan Longoria and Jared Hughes will be Big West Player and Pitcher of the Year.

Are You A Former Dirtbag Planning On Attending The Alumni Game Saturday?

2006-01-25T08:33:00.000-08:00

I received an email from Rudy Rodriguez, who played shortstop for the Dirtbags in 1991 and 1993. He, and Brian Smith (Dirtbags 1993-1994), will be there and are looking to meet up with other former Dirtbag teammates. If you'd like to get in touch with Rudy, send me an email at dirtbagsfan@yahoo.com, and I'll pass it along to him.

This And That

2006-01-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

Former Dirtbag Chad Bentz has signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox.

Jared Hughes has been named to the Roger Clemens Award watch list. The Clemens Award is given to the nation's top college pitcher. Former Dirtbag Jered Weaver earned the award the first year it was given out - 2004.

Former Dirtbag Troy Tulowitzki is featured in this piece on the Colorado Rockies website. Hat tip to reader Dan for passing it along.

Hughes And Longoria Among Top Juniors

2006-01-19T10:23:00.000-08:00

Evan Longoria at #7, and Jared Hughes at #15, are listed by Baseball America in its Fab 50 list of the top juniors in college baseball.

Former Dirtbags In The World Baseball Classic

2006-01-19T09:28:00.000-08:00

The rosters are out, and 2 former Dirtbags are listed, both on the Italian team, to play in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. Former Dirtbags Mike Gallo and Kasey Olenberger are both slated to pitch, and their battery mate may be former Dodgers and Mets catcher Mike Piazza (who is currently an unsigned free agent). Mike Gallo is with the Houston Astros, and Kasey is in the "of Anaheim" Angels organization (playing in 2005 at AA Arkansas).

Former Dirtbag Angel Aragon Named Shreveport Sports Pitching Coach

2006-01-19T09:24:00.000-08:00

This from OurSportsCentral.com:

Angel Aragon, who has spent the last three years as a pitcher for the Ft. Worth Cats in the Central League has been named pitching coach for the Shreveport Sports for the 2006 season.

The 32-year old right hander, pitched only three games at Ft. Worth last season before under going Tommy John surgery, cutting his pitcher career short. In 2003 and 2004, Aragon had a combined record of 16-8 and 2.45 ERA at Ft. Worth.

Aragon was originally signed by the San Diego Padres in 1998 and spent parts of two seasons with the Padres Double-A team at Mobile in the Southern League.

As far as coaching, Aragon said, "this is always something I've wanted to do when my playing career was over and Bob Flori (Sports manager) has given me this opportunity. I know at the independent level, it's a second chance for some of these players to sign with an affiliated team and having pitched in the Padres organization, I feel I can help our pitchers reach that goal."

Aragon, a resident of Oxnard, California, completed the Sports coaching staff for manager Bob Flori. Earlier, Flori named Eddie Gerald as hitting and first base coach.

The Sports will open the 2006 season on May 11th with the home opener at Fair Grounds Field on May 16th.

Angel pitched at Long Beach State in 1993. He began playing professionally in 1997 with Sioux Falls in the Northern League. He signed with the San Diego Padres in 1998, playing that year at Clinton in the low A Midwest League. In '99 he was with Rancho Cucamonga (Advanced Class A California League), and made it to AA ball in 2000 with Mobile in the Southern League, his highest level in the affiliated minor leagues.

Former Dirtbag Mike Gallo...

2006-01-19T08:06:00.000-08:00

...is featured in this piece by Doug Kirkorian in the Long Beach Press-Telegram. Mike will be the keynote speaker at the Annual Lead-off Dinner Thursday evening next week. He'll also pitch for Italy in the World Baseball Classic (more on Dirtbags on WBC rosters later today).

Media Day Comments

2006-01-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

Dirtbags Head Coach Mike Weathers, and Cape Cod League MVP Evan Longoria, spoke today at the Southern California College Media Day from the Pyramid at Long Beach State. Here's what they had to say:

Evan Longoria:

On whether he's feeling pressure to score more runs: "I don't really feel the pressure. Like Coach has said, they always do a good job with what's going on. I know that our guys are going to figure it out. We'll end up being where we need to be when we need to be there. So I'm not really worried."

Coach Weathers:

On the Dirtbags tough non-conference schedule: "This one happens to be a little tougher than normal. We always try to play the best. If you could plan out schedules, you know we are about 2 years ahead nowadays, we probably would have done it a little bit different because of the number of new players on our club this year. But we love playing the best. I think our guys will find out right away, they have no idea right now, but they are going to be tested right away. And they are going to find out what this Division I baseball is all about, and love it."

On the Dirtbags prospects this season: "I think the whole key is that we are going to be a work in progress. The 23 guys is a lot of new people. The experienced pitching...isn't really there. Our dominate Friday guy will be Jared Hughes..from Sunday last year. But as far as having a closer...not this year...we don't start the season with an experienced closer, or one even chosen. I'm not sure how the hitting is going to play into this. We have some experience on the field. With Evan (Longoria), Chuck Sindlinger at second, Brandon Godfrey, Sean Boatright in the outfield. We have some guys who have been part of this program, with Tito Cruz coming up big behind the plate for us this year. So guys who have seen this level. Some guys have some experience at this level. Have they had great success? Not really, other than Evan and maybe Sean Boatright. The new guys I think are going to be the key...from a hitting standpoint. How they handle this schedule, and how they handle the Rice, and the Texas, and the Baylor, Friday and Saturday and Sunday guys. If they can figure it out, I think they are talented kids. I've had a great time coaching them this year. We really get along well. I think they are trying to understand the system that we have here. It's pretty complicated. But they are getting to know it. And I think if they don't totally fail miserably early, I think they are a really talented group."

Asked about whether the Dirtbags toughest game may be the Alumni game on January 28, with the prospect of each of the following former Dirtbags pitching an inning:. Jered Weaver, Cesar Ramos, Jason Vargas, Abe Alvarez, Neil Jamison, Brian Anderson, and Chris DeMaria:

"Yeah, they are all going to play. And you know we have never lost an alumni game. It's going around the field, these guys all come out every day. We had about 11 ex-Dirtbags out there, a lot of the guys you just named, working out yesterday around these guys. We were just talking about that yesterday, it's interesting, that this will be the first year I don't think we have a shot. Not with that pitching staff."

Giants Invite Jennings And Bowker To Big League Spring Training Camp

2006-01-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

The San Francisco Giants having given Major League spring training camp invitations to former Dirtbags Todd Jennings and John Bowker. MLB.com has these comments on each:

Jennings, 24, starred for San Jose in 2005, batting .288 with 22 doubles, 10 homers and 67 RBIs. He's a longtime catcher but also plays in the infield.

Bowker, a 22-year-old Sacramento native, has batted .295 with 19 home runs and 94 RBIs the last two seasons and drove in 67 RBIs for San Jose in 2005.

Catch The Southern California College Baseball Media Day Today...

2006-01-18T09:02:00.000-08:00

...on CSTV.com, originating from the Pyramid at Long Beach State. It starts at 10:00 a.m. PST, and you can watch the streaming video by clicking here. If that link doesn't work, LongBeachState.com has the link and more here. It will be re-broadcast several time. The schedule is in my earlier post.

Dirtbags #17 In NCBWA Pre-Season Poll

2006-01-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

The National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association is out with their Pre-Season rankings for NCAA Division I baseball, and Long Beach State comes in at number 17. Here's the complete rankings (Big West Conference schools in italics):

Rank/School               (2005 Record)
1. Texas                  (56-16)
2. Florida                (48-23)
3. Oregon State           (46-12)
4. Rice                   (45-19)
5. Nebraska               (57-15)
6. Clemson                (43-23)
7. North Carolina         (41-19)
8. Cal State Fullerton    (46-18)
9. Florida State          (53-20)
10. Arizona State         (42-25)
11. Georgia Tech          (45-19)
12. Pepperdine            (41-23)
13. Miami (Fla.)          (41-19)
14. Tulane                (56-12)
15. LSU                   (40-22)
16. Missouri              (40-23)
17. Long Beach State      (37-22)
18. Mississippi State     (42-22)
19. Arkansas              (39-22)
20. Tennessee             (46-21)
21. TCU                   (41-20)
22. Notre Dame            (38-24)
23. Mississippi           (48-20)
24. Wichita State         (51-24)
25. Southern California   (41-22)
26. Winthrop              (44-22)
27. North Carolina State  (41-19)
28. Oklahoma              (35-26)
29. Stanford              (34-25)
30. Southern Miss         (41-21)

Also Receiving Votes (alphabetically): Arizona, Army, Baylor, California, Cal Poly, College of Charleston, Creighton, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Fresno State, George Washington, Hawai'i, Houston, Lamar, Minnesota, UNC Wilmington, Northwestern State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, St. John's, San Francisco, Southern U., Stetson, Texas State, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, Washington.

A Q&A On Terrmel Sledge

2006-01-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

The Padres site at MLB.com has this Q&A on the San Diego's recent addition, former Dirtbag Terrmel Sledge:

How does the newly acquired Terrmel Sledge fit into the outfield picture? He had a good rookie year in Montreal, and his defense isn't that bad. -- Eenon P., Sacramento

The reports on Sledge, coming off a season wiped out by a hamstring tear, are mostly favorable. He's a versatile athlete with decent speed, and he can scald the ball. He has had a tendency to become too pull-conscious, but he'll correct that when he takes a good look at the PETCO Park dimensions.

Nationals manager Frank Robinson, I'm told, was sold on his potential and hated to see him go to Texas in the deal for Alfonso Soriano.

At the moment, Sledge shapes up as the fourth outfielder, right ahead of Ben Johnson. The 28-year-old can pick up the slack left by departed pinch-hitting stars Mark Sweeney and Robert Fick and be ready to move in for any of the three starters. He's a first-class insurance policy for now, with the talent to become a productive regular for years to come.

Another Take On The '06 Dirtbags

2006-01-17T08:59:00.000-08:00

Baseball America's Pre-Season Top 25 includes the Dirtbags at #22. Here's their capsule on Long Beach State (paid area):

Offense: The infield returns three of its four starters from a year ago, though the one loss - shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (.349-8-29) - is major. Look for Evan Longoria to fill his role as the key offensive cog, reprising his 2005 role during Tulowitzki's 20-game absence with a wrist injury. Longoria led the Cape Cod League in home runs (eight) and RBIs (35) over the summer. Robert Perry, a Little League teammate of Tulowitzki's, should set the table for Longoria and the oft-injured Sean Boatright. Tito Cruz or freshman Kip Masuda must replace Chris Jones (.308) at catcher. Expect the small-ball attack to score just enough to win, as usual.

Pitching/Defense: The Beach lost Jered Weaver and Jason Vargas after 2004 but still led the nation with a 2.53 ERA a year ago. This season provides a similar opportunity as Cesar Ramos (10-7, 2.64) and Marco Estrada (8-3, 2.43) are gone. Jared Hughes stands as the returning ace after going 7-0 on the Cape. As for the newcomers, Vance Worley throws four pitches for strikes and reaches the low 90s, while Andrew Carpenter seeks to serve as the key JC plug-in the Dirtbags have found the last two years in Vargas and Estrada. The bullpen could prove shaky following the losses of seniors Neil Jamison (0.00 ERA, 11 saves) and Brian Anderson (0.83 ERA).

X Factor: Long Beach State likes its depth of position players, and this roster features the normal mix of seasoned players and key juco additions. Still, there's reason to expect true freshmen to prove vital this year. Worley and Danny Espinosa must prove ready for their roles, and at least one of three other freshmen - lefty Shane Peterson or righthanders Bryan Shaw and Scott Turmail - must emerge on the mound to add depth to the bullpen.

Vance Worley Among Top 50 Freshmen

2006-01-17T08:32:00.000-08:00

Baseball America is out with their Fab 50 list of the top 50 freshmen in NCAA Baseball (in the subscription area). The Dirtbags' righthanded pitcher Vance Worley, a probable weekend starter this season, makes the list at #14 (pictured at left pitching for Sacramento's McClatchy HS). Vance is the only Big West Conference player to be so honored.

Other California players include #11 Brian Matusz, lhp, San Diego; #16 Josh Romanski, lhp/dh, San Diego; #24 Brandon Crawford, ss, UCLA; #29 Ryan Babineau, c, UCLA; #36 Chase D'Arnaud, 3b, Pepperdine; #39 Tim Murphy, of, UCLA; #43 Jeremy Bleich, rhp, Stanford; and #49 Tyson Ross, rhp, California. The Texas Longhorns outfielder Jordan Danks tops the list.

Hat tip to reader Chris for passing this one along.

Former Dirtbag Marco Estrada On Beginning Pro Ball

2006-01-13T08:20:00.000-08:00

From CapitalDugout.com:

Q&A with Marco Estrada

Frankie Piliere
Jan 4, 2006

Although Marco Estrada did not compile dazzling numbers in his first taste of professional baseball, there are dozens of reasons to believe he could rapidly become one of the Nationals best and most polished pitching prospects as early as this spring. We sat down with the former Long Beach State standout for a Q&A session.

CapitolDugout.com: Marco, how do you feel about your first taste of professional baseball and do you feel that you were at your best with Vermont after a long college season?

Marco Estrada: I think I did pretty well. The numbers might not look that great, but after my first few starts, I think I did fine. I think the only reason I struggled initially was because I had basically a whole month of down time between college and pitching in Vermont. I went straight into pitching games without too much time to get ready to go again. And, yeah, I was probably a little tired, but I think it was just because I hadn't really pitched in a while. But, I think I settled in pretty well.

CapitolDugout.com: You mentioned the layoff before starting professional baseball creating some possible problems for you. What other aspects of professional baseball do you think gave you some trouble?

Marco Estrada: The smaller seams on the baseball were definitely something different for me. In college, the seams are bigger and I had to adjust once I got to the pros. But, it was nothing that I couldn't really handle once I got used to it. Also, I had to learn how to work lower in the zone and around the knees. You could get away with pitching high in college sometimes, but hitters take advantage of it now. If I'm getting the ball down, then I'll be getting more ground balls. And, as a pitcher, you have to love those ground balls.

CapitolDugout.com: Obviously, you have learned quite a bit from your 2005 campaign. What do you feel is going to be the key for you in 2006?

Marco Estrada: More than anything else, I just want to stay healthy and do the best I can. I feel that I can succeed in professional baseball and that I am definitely good enough. As long as I'm healthy, I should do just fine.

CapitolDugout.com: Marco, if you would, please walk us through your repertoire.

Marco Estrada: Well, I throw a fastball and that usually is in the low 90's. I think I have very good command of it and I can usually locate it on the corners of the zone pretty well. I also throw a nice, sharp curveball in the low-80's. That is a really good pitch for me. I get a lot of strikeouts with it. I also throw a changeup that is very effective and I tend to get hitters way out in front of it. I'm probably going to start using it more now too.

CapitolDugout.com: You've mentioned some of the different things about professional baseball that you had to adjust to in your first season. In any ways, have you had to change from the way you pitched in college?

Marco Estrada: Yeah, actually. In college, I was throwing a lot more curveballs. But, I notice in professional baseball, they want you to throw more fastballs and attack the strike zone. A lot of times when I expected to throw a curveball, they'd call a fastball. So that was pretty new. But, as far as the hitters are concerned, I didn't think they were way better than what I saw in college. Yeah, they're a little bit better for sure, but it isn't a huge difference. These guys just make you pay for your mistakes more.

CapitolDugout.com: Heading into spring training this year, what are some of your goals regarding personal achievements or where you'd like to pitch?

Marco Estrada: Well, I would really like to be in High A ball. But, I still pretty sure that I'll probably end of up in Savannah to start the season. I still have my goals to get to High A ball or AA ball by the end of the season. I truly have confidence that I can move that quickly up the ladder. Also, I'd like to get more ground balls. Of course, I love to get the strikeouts, but I should get a lot of balls on the ground also.

CapitolDugout.com: Marco, you mention that you like the strikeouts. Would you call yourself a strikeout pitcher or someone who pitches to contact?

Marco Estrada: I'm definitely a strikeout pitcher. I like to really attack the hitter and go for the strikeout. I think my stuff is good enough for me to be a strikeout pitcher too. But, I have a good two seam fastball that I get a lot of grounders with too. My two seamer has good movement. My four seamer sometimes has some movement too, but I'd rather keep the movement just with the two seamer. (laughing)

CapitolDugout.com: Often times, pitchers speak of how much pitching in a big college environment helped them with the professional transition. How much of a benefit do you think it was for you to pitch for Long Beach State?

Marco Estrada: I think that was a huge advantage for me, definitely. I faced some outstanding hitters in college so it wasn't such a big jump in talent when I got to the pros. I pitched against some good team in college that wouldn't let you get away with a lot of bad mistakes. So, it helped in the transition for sure...

More On Media Day At The Pyramid

2006-01-13T08:07:00.000-08:00

From CSTV.com:

Easton Sponsors CSTV's Live Coverage of Southern California Baseball Media Day. Fourth Annual Media Day Brings in Baseball Programs from Southern California

Jan. 11, 2006

New York, NY - CSTV Networks, operator of CSTV: College Sports Television and CSTV.com, will throw its first pitch of the 2006 college baseball season with a live broadcast of the fourth annual Southern California Baseball Media Day from Long Beach on January 18. The broadcast is presented by Easton Sports, official sponsor of CSTV's 2006 baseball and softball programming. CSTV is providing the first-ever live coverage from the event - on television and broadband - which features head coaches and key players from 14 college teams that have built the rich baseball tradition in Southern California. The show will air on Wednesday, Jan. 18 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm ET. CSTV is available on cable systems throughout the country, Dish Network and DirecTV, as well as via broadband through the CSTV.com XXL package.

CSTV baseball analyst Kevin Stocker will be on hand with play-by-play personality Carter Blackburn to host the network's live coverage, which includes comprehensive analysis and interviews with a myriad of players and coaches from the 14 Southern California teams.

CSTV, the number one destination for college sports, has taken the lead in covering college baseball as well, producing in-season games since its launch in 2003. Southern California universities annually pepper the national rankings and have combined for 43 College World Series appearances (USC-21, Cal State Fullerton-13, Long Beach State-4, Pepperdine-2, UCLA-2, Loyola Marymount-1) and 19 national championships (USC-12, Cal State Fullerton-4, Pepperdine-1, CS Northridge-2 at D-II).

Head coaches from Long Beach State, Cal State Fullerton, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, Cal State Northridge, Cal Poly, UC Santa Barbara, USC, UCLA, Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount, the University of San Diego, San Diego State and Pacific will be on hand to field questions. These schools have produced Hall of Famers (such as UCLA's Jackie Robinson, Cal Poly's Ozzie Smith and USC's Tom Seaver), Major League MVPs (Long Beach State's Jason Giambi), Cy Young Award winners (Pepperdine's Mike Scott, USC's Randy Johnson and Barry Zito, who made stops at UC Santa Barbara and USC) and rising stars (such as USC's Mark Prior, LBSU's Bobby Crosby and Cal State Fullerton's Mark Kotsay). In all, more than 150 players from Southern California schools can currently be found on the professional baseball circuit.

As I noted here, the Media Day will be re-broadcast several times.

Quote And Quotable

2006-01-07T23:58:00.000-08:00

Coach Mike Weathers, quoted in the Long Beach Press-Telegram:

"When we start on January 9, we'll see how quickly our guys come together, especially the new players, and run with what they learned in the fall," Dirtbags coach Mike Weathers said in a school press release. "With how tough our preseason schedule is, I'm looking forward to the challenge of getting going, and seeing where we are at."

As the P-T article points out, the 2006 Dirtbags will feature 23 newcomers, and will play road series against Baseball America Pre-Season #1 Texas and #5 Fullerton, and games against #7 Rice and #11 Pepperdine.

Jered Weaver Gets Major League Spring Training Invite

2006-01-06T15:47:00.000-08:00

Former Dirtbag Jered Weaver has been given a non-roster invitation to the Anahe...errr...Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Spring Training camp.

Longoria, Hughes, Named Baseball America Pre-Season All-Americans

2006-01-06T08:23:00.001-08:00

Evan Longoria has been named the 1st Team Pre-Season All-American shortstop by Baseball America [pdf], while Jared Hughes was selected to the 3rd Team as a starting pitcher. Both players are juniors entering their 2nd season with the Dirtbags. Evan played his 1st collegiate year at Rio Hondo CC, while Jared was a freshman at Santa Clara.

As a sophomore, Evan hit .320 with 5 HR and 8 doubles. Playing with Chatham in the elite Cape Cod League, he was named Most Valuable Player after leading the league in RBI with 35, and HRs at 8. In 164 ABs, he hit .299, with a .500 slugging percentage.

In 2005, Jared went 8-3 with a 2.83 ERA over 89 innings. He held opponents to a meager .212 average, while striking out 87 and walking 23. Also playing at Chatham on the Cape, Jared was 7-0 with a 1.62 ERA over 50 innings. He struck out 54, walked 11, and held opposing batters to a .207 average.

As Baseball America states: "Baseball America's All-America team was selected by Allan Simpson and Will Kimmey in conjunction with major league scouting directors."

In The BA Chat Today...

2006-01-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

This Q&A from Will Kimmey's Baseball America chat today:

Q: Patrick from Sandpoint, Idaho asks:
I'll ask what everyone else is thinking: Right off the top, who are your top 10 preseason college players for the '06 draft right now in January. It'd be interesting to see the comparision to later this year come draft time.

A: Will Kimmey:
Pat, you're a team player. Here we go: Andrew Miller, Max Scherzer, Daniel Bard, Drew Stubbs, Ian Kennedy, Evan Longoria, Matt LaPorta, Wes Hodges, Dallas Buck, Kyle McCulloch, Joba Chamberlain. That's 11, I cheated.

Long Beach State Ranked #22 In Baseball America Pre-Season List

2006-01-05T09:04:00.000-08:00

Baseball America has the Dirtbags at #22 in its Pre-Season College Top 25. Here's the ranking:

   Team                  2005    2005
                         Record  Final Rank
1. Texas                 56-16    1
2. Clemson               43-23   14
3. Florida               48-23    2
4. Georgia Tech          45-19   11
5. Cal State Fullerton   46-18    9
6. North Carolina        41-19   NR
7. Rice                  45-19   13
8. Oregon State          46-12    7
9. Tennessee             46-21    8
10. Missouri             40-23   21
11. Pepperdine           41-23   24
12. Tulane               56-12    3
13. Mississippi State    42-22   22
14. South Carolina       41-23   25
15. Florida State        53-20   16
16. Arizona State        42-25    6
17. Southern California  41-22   17
18. Arkansas             39-22   NR
19. Texas Christian      41-20   NR
20. Louisiana State      40-22   18
21. Fresno State         30-29   NR
22. Long Beach State     37-22   19
23. Mississippi          48-20   10
24. North Carolina State 41-19   NR
25. California           34-23   NR

Chad Bentz Signs Minor League Deal With White Sox

2006-01-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

Former Dirtbag Chad Bentz, who became a 6 year minor league free agent at the conclusion of the 2005 season, has signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox, according to a reliable source. I haven't seen anything on the web yet. I'll update with a link when it's up. Update: Baseball America has it here.

Chad appeared in 36 games for the Montreal Expos in 2004, pitching 27.2 innings (all in relief), and posting a 5.86 ERA. He was released by the Expos on December 15, 2004, and signed by the Florida Marlins on February 11, 2005. Bentz spent most of the 2005 season at AAA Albuquerque, where he posted a 4.01 ERA - not bad for the hitter friendly Pacific Coast League. He appeared in only 4 games and 2.0 innings with the Marlins. [Courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MinorLeagueBaseball.com].

It's Getting Close To Time To Douse The Hot Stove

2006-01-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

Another season of Long Beach State Dirtbag baseball is just a month away. This year, the Southern California College Baseball Media Day, held at Long Beach State, will be carried live on CSTV. The two hour program will air January 18, beginning at 10:00 a.m. pacific. In addition to TV, you can catch the streaming audio at CSTV.com. It will be re-broadcast on the following schedule: Wed, Jan. 18 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm, Sat, Jan. 21 7:30 pm, Mon, Jan. 23 11:00 am, Tues, Jan. 24 11:00 pm, Mon, Jan. 30 9:00 am, and Tues, Jan. 31 2:30 am (all times pacific). LongBeachState.com has the story here.

And then comes Alumni Weekend, from Thursday, January 26 through Saturday, January 28. Here's the events, in pdf.

Dirtbags' 2006 Roster Announced

2006-01-03T14:17:00.000-08:00

The 2006 Long Beach State baseball roster has been posted (here at LongBeachState.com, and here as a pdf file). Here are the 2006 Dirtbags:

No. Player            Pos.   B/T Ht.  Wt. Yr.
1   Tom Wolf          OF     L/R 5-10 180 Sr.
2   Robert Perry      OF     L/L 5-9  183 Jr.
3   Chuck Sindlinger  2B     R/R 5-10 185 Sr.
4   Sean Boatright    OF     R/R 6-0  190 Sr.
5   Anthony Pinocchio 2B/SS  S/R 5-11 180 Jr.
6   Evan Longoria     SS/3B  R/R 6-2  213 Jr.
7   Brandon Godfrey   1B     L/R 6-0  185 So.
8   Danny Espinosa    SS     S/R 6-0  185 Fr.
9   Ted Pattock       OF     L/R 6-1  180 So.
10   Brian Capon      C      R/R 5-9  185 Jr.
11   Allen Woods      OF     L/R 5-10 160 Jr.
12   Edgar Sedano     IF     L/R 5-10 175 Jr.
14   Bobby McMurray   UT     S/R 6-1  200 So.
15   Scott Turmail    RHP    R/R 6-4  175 Fr.
16   Matt Cline       IF     R/R 5-10 175 Jr.
17   Scott Bradley    1B/OF  R/R 6-1  195 Sr.
19   Mike Malott      RHP    R/R 6-4  215 Sr.
20   Jose Hernandez   OF     R/L 5-10 195 So.
22   Donnie Hume      LHP    R/L 6-1  185 So.
23   Tito Cruz        C/3B   R/R 5-10 205 Sr.
26   Brett Andrade    RHP    R/R 6-4  205 Sr.
27   Kip Masuda       C      R/R 5-11 185 Fr.
29   Bryan Shaw       RHP    R/R 6-1  175 Fr.
30   Jordan Struble   C/OF   R/R 5-11 195 Sr.
32   Chris Lopez      1B     R/R 6-2  245 Jr.
33   Russ Lowell      LHP    L/L 6-0  170 Fr.
35   Jared Hughes     RHP    R/R 6-7  235 Jr.
36   Andrew Carpenter RHP    R/R 6-3  225 Jr.
39   Andrew Liebel    RHP    R/R 6-0  180 So.
40   Hunter Hewitt    LHP    R/L 6-1  200 Fr.
41   Andre Lamontagne RHP    R/R 6-4  190 Fr.
42   Shane Peterson   LHP/1B L/L 6-0  185 Fr.
43   Kyle Bredenkamp  RHP    R/R 6-5  218 Fr.
46   Brandon Decker   IF/OF  R/R 5-10 155 Fr.
47   Vance Worley     RHP    R/R 6-2  215 Fr.

Head Coach: #21 Mike Weathers (Chapman '71, 5th year as Head Coach, 14th year with program).
Assistant Coach (Pitching/Recruiting): #34 Troy Buckley (Santa Clara '90, 6th year with LBSU).
Assistant Coach: #28 Tim McDonnell (UC Irvine '94, 3rd year with LBSU)
Volunteer Assistant Coach/Third Base Coach: #44 Jon Strauss (LBSU '95, 7th year with LBSU, 1st year back).
Undergraduate Assistant Coach/First Base Coach: #24 Cole Jacobsen, (LBSU 2004-05), 1st year.

Brian Anderson Ranked #28 Prospect With Giants

2006-01-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

SFDugout.com's Keven Cunningham ranks former Dirtbag Brian Anderson the #28 prospect in the San Francisco Giants organization, with this (no link to story - paid subscription area):

Brian Anderson is a common name in baseball, and it'd be most recognized as a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals or a top prospect for the Chicago White Sox. But the Giants have one too, and after the closing performance he put up in Salem-Keizer, you should start thinking of him first when hearing that name....

Just remember: 42-3. That's his strikeout-to-walk ratio. Yes, that's 42 strikeouts versus 3 walks. In less than 28 innings, no less. Those sorts of stats will help the memory.

The Giants plucked Anderson out of Long Beach State's bullpen, which was one of the best in the country. Anderson, however, never served as the team's fulltime closer in his four years with them, picking up 4 saves in 72 career college appearances. It didn't matter, as he made the closer role his own. He led the Northwest League with 19 saves (4 more than the 2nd place player), and anchored a bullpen that was rock solid, leading the Volcanoes to a 39-0 record when leading after 7 innings. He was also named the RH reliever on the NWL All-Star team (the team only picks 4 pitchers, right handers and left handers in the starting and relieving roles).

The surprising thing is that Anderson doesn't come at you with stereotypical closer stuff. He works with a fastball that sits in the low 90's. But he's got an excellent strikeout pitch in his hard closer, has a good changeup, and as you probably guessed, has control of all his pitches. Even in college, he never had double digits walks in a season. He matches this with a closer's attitude and very good makeup on the mound.

The question is whether or not Anderson can keep up this sort of production as he moves through the minors. Despite his strikeout numbers in his pro debut, he usually had less than a strikeout an inning in college, and doesn't project to be a huge strikeout pitcher as he starts facing better hitters. His ability to work within the zone could also leave him susceptible to hitters who deserve more respect than those he's faced so far.

He should start 2006 in at least Augusta, and may get pushed to San Jose right away. Anderson has all the tools to move quickly through the system, and will probably be the first 2005 draftee to make the majors. The question is which role he will have when he makes the majors. His stuff is indicative of a setup man, but if he makes the most of his control and slider, being a closer at the highest levels is not outside of his reach.

He will have some bumps on the road, especially next season, but Brian Anderson will certainly be making a name for himself in the Giants system quickly, and no Giants fans will be confused about who he is much longer.

Trade Talk On Jeremy Reed Continues

2005-12-30T09:10:00.000-08:00

According to the Seattle Times, the Mariners are offering former Dirtbag Jeremy Reed as part of a deal to acquire pitching help. Time will tell.

Dirtbags #20 In Rosenblatt Report Pre-Season Rankings

2005-12-29T11:35:00.000-08:00

The Rosenblatt Report lists the Long Beach State Dirtbags in the #20 slot in their Pre-Season Top 35 rankings. Here's the entire list:

Rosenblatt Report's
Pre-Season Top 35 Poll

1. Texas (56-16)
2. Rice (45-19)
3. Florida (48-23)
4. Clemson (43-23)
5. Oregon State (46-12)
6. Georgia Tech (45-19)
7. North Carolina (41-19-1)
8. Nebraska (57-15)
9. Cal-State Fullerton (46-18)
10. Florida State (53-20)
11. South Carolina (41-23)
12. Missouri (40-23)
13. Pepperdine (41-23)
14. Arkansas (39-22)
15. Tennessee (46-21)
16. Mississippi State (42-22)
17. Tulane (56-12)
18. Miami, Fla. (41-19-1)
19. Southern Miss (41-21)
20. Long Beach State (37-22)
21. Notre Dame (38-24-1)
22. Florida Atlantic (37-24)
23. Oklahoma (35-26)
24. Southern California (41-22)
25. Mississippi (48-20)
26. NC State (41-19)
27. Texas A&M (30-25-1)
28. Alabama (40-23)
29. Baylor (46-24)
30. Stanford (34-25)
31. TCU (41-20)
32. LSU (40-22)
33. Stetson (35-28)
34. Arizona State (42-25)
35. Creighton (48-17)

Evan Longoria Named Collegiate Baseball Pre-Season All American

2005-12-27T17:21:00.000-08:00

Collegiate Baseball Newspaper is out with their 2006 Pre-Season All American picks. The Dirtbags' Evan Longoria is named to the 3rd Team as a 3rd baseman.

Former Dirtbag Jeff Liefer Signs With Japan's Pacific Baseball League Seibu Lions

2005-12-26T09:06:00.000-08:00

This from JapanBall.com (hat tip to reader Rhonda):

Seibu gets infielder Liefer on 1-year contract

The Seibu Lions said Thursday they have signed infielder Jeffrey Liefer to a one-year contract worth an estimated 50 million yen.

The 31-year-old Liefer hit .196 with one homer and eight RBIs in 19 games for the Cleveland Indians this year. In his seven-year career in the major leagues, Liefer has a .230 average with 31 homers and 113 RBIs.

He did not receive any signing bonus.

Jeff saw only limited action with the Indians in 2005 (appearing in 19 games - 56 at bats). With AAA Buffalo in the International League, he hit .321 (103 hit in 321 AB), slugged at .595 (19 HR, 27 doubles, 2 triples), with a .388 OBP (35 walks).

Update: According to XE.com, 50 million yen is currently $427,083.29 U.S. In 2003, the last season he appeared in more than 19 Major League games, Jeff earned $320,000 (courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com).

BWC SOS Takes A Step Backwards

2005-12-23T14:34:00.000-08:00

When the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee makes its choices for at-large post-season bids, they consider a number of factors but few would argue that Ratings Performance Index (or RPI) is the most important. To raise RPI, a team has to win, and at least as important, its opponents have to win (at least against their other opponents). Strength of Schedule (or SOS) is a measure of the quality of a teams opponents (and their opponent's opponents).

For several years, Boyd Nation has calculated and published his SOS, both intended and actual, at BoydsWorld.com. Intended SOS is the anticipated strength of schedule before any games are played, and is based upon the previous season's results. Actual SOS is calculated based upon actual results for the season in question. Boyd publishes them as the season progresses, and as final numbers after all the games are done. Boyd's SOS is the average of a team's opponent's Iterative Strength Rating (or ISR). ISR is a modification to the RPI used by the NCAA which corrects for bias primarily against teams in the western U.S. This bias is caused by the relative scarcity of Division I baseball programs in the west, compared to other parts of the country (especially the southeastern U.S.). This scarcity causes a team's opponent's winning percentage to come closer to .500 than it does in areas such as the southeast (since there tend to be a lot of common opponents for western teams).

This year, Paul Kislanko and SEBaseball.com have come out with it's version of intended SOS, both non-conference and overall. These ordinals are included in the table below. SEBaseball's calculations are somewhat different than Boyd Nation's. You can read all about it here, but the significant differences are:

SEBaseball uses RPI, while Boyd Nation uses ISR.
SEBaseball uses ordinal rankings, while Boyd Nation uses numeric values.

The RPI versus ISR difference is a little more obvious. We in the west like ISR because it (usually) seems a more fair measure of the quality of a team. But using the RPI in SOS is more pragmatic. It is, unfortunately, the value used by the Committee for at-large bids, so in the real world we gotta live and deal with it.

Be sure to read SEBaseball.com's explanation of why they are using ranking order, rather than numeric values. Paul can explain it better than I can, with my limited math and statistics accumen. But in a nutshell, Paul maintains that their formula does a better job of reflecting the depth of a schedule, as well as its overall strength. He explains that it corrects for extremes, and takes into account how weighted a schedule is to highly ranked, or lowly ranked, opponents.

The table below shows SEBaseball's intended non-conference, and overall, SOS for the upcoming season, for teams in the Big West Conference. These 2 columns are followed by Boyd Nation's intended 2005 SOS, and then the actual 2005 SOS. Unfortunately, Boyd is not out with his 2006 intended SOS article yet. I'll revisit this post when he is. There will be differences between SEBaseball and Boyd, and some may be substantial. But as I discuss below, these numbers have got to give Beach fans (and fans of other Big West teams) cause for some concern.

                   Intended    Intended    Intended   Actual
School             Non-conf.   Overall     Overall    Overall
                   2006 SOS    2006 SOS    2005 SOS   2005 SOS
                   SEBaseball  SEBaseball  BoydsWrld  BoydsWrld

Long Beach State         1          21         14           3
CS Fullerton             4          25          6           6
CS Northridge           13          27         17          21
UC Riverside            43          51         10          10
UC Irvine               61          53         13           9
UC Santa Barbara        75          57          8           8
Pacific                 97          58         22          24
Cal. Poly SLO          114          85         16          23
UC Davis               141          71         26          25

While Boyd's numbers will likely be better, if only because he uses the ISR, I'm willing to bet that Cal. Poly and UC Davis aren't going to go from 114 and 141 in SEBaseball's SOS, to the numbers they had in Boyd's intended SOS last season (16 and 26). The 2 calculation methods don't appear to be grossly different. A 20 or 30 place improvement I'd buy, but not 100 slots. With the exception of Long Beach State, Fullerton and Northridge, the other 6 teams in the Big West appear to have taken a huge step down in scheduling. A couple of years ago, it looked like the Big West was headed towards 3 and sometimes 4 bids. Unfortunately, the bottom line is that unless 1 of those 6 wins the Conference title, it seems likely that the BWC isn't likely to have more than 2 teams playing in Regionals.

You have to admire Northridge's willingness to maintain a very demanding schedule. Last season they were 18-36 (17-36 against Div. I opponents), and finished 177th in RPI, and 120th in ISR. It would be understandable for them to schedule lighter to improve the W-L percentage.

What I can't understand is the huge step back for Cal. Poly. Last season they were 36-20, 57th in RPI and 15th in ISR. Had they played only a slightly more difficult schedule, they would likely have been selected to play in a Regional. Of their 29 scheduled non-conference games, only 5 are against teams with 2005 RPIs under 99 (3 against Washington, and 2 against Oregon State). That's digging a hole it will be hard to get out of. That said, there is hope that their actual SOS will be better than their intended SOS. Four of their opponents with 2005 RPIs worse than 100th are ranked in Collegiate Baseball's pre-season poll: San Diego at 36th (130th 2005 RPI), Fresno State at 40th (168th 2005 RPI), San Diego State at 60th (170th 2005 RPI) and Loyola Marymount at 68th (102nd 2005 RPI).

If the Big West Conference wants to remain a top 6 baseball power conference, its members - top to bottom - are going to have to schedule aggressively. Winning 40 games is great, but not if it's against such an easy schedule that it doesn't get you into the post-season.

And They're Off....Dirtbags 16th In Collegiate Baseball Pre-Season Rankings

2005-12-23T11:46:00.000-08:00

Collegiate Baseball Newspaper is the 1st out of the gates with their NCAA Division I baseball pre-season rankings. The Dirtbags, who finished 18th in the final Collegiate Baseball poll last season, get the nod at 16th in the 2006 pre-season list. Here's the rankings, with Big West Conference schools in italics:

Rank School ('05 Final Record)  Final '05 Rank
1. Texas (56-16)                        1
2. Florida (48-23)                      2
3. Oregon St. (46-12)                   7
4. Nebraska (57-15)                     6
5. Rice (45-19)                        16
6. Clemson (43-23)                     13
7. North Carolina (41-19-1)            21
8. Florida St. (53-20)                 15
9. Cal. St. Fullerton (46-18)           9
10. Georgia Tech. (45-19)              10
11. Miami, Fla. (41-19-1)              14
12. Arizona St. (42-25)                 3
13. Pepperdine (41-23)                 23
14. Missouri (40-23)                   NR
15. Louisiana St. (40-22)              19
16. Long Beach St. (37-22)             18
17. South Carolina (41-23)             26
18. Florida Atlantic (37-24)           NR
19. Tennessee (46-21)                   8
20. Mississippi (48-20)                11
21. Southern California (41-22)        17
22. Notre Dame (38-24-1)               NR
23. Baylor (46-24)                      4
24. Tulane (56-12)                      5
25. Stanford (34-25)                   NR
26. Wichita St. (51-24)                27
27. Texas Christian (41-20)            29
28. Winthrop (44-22)                   NR
29. Oklahoma (35-26)                   NR
30. Southern Miss. (41-21)             NR
31. Arizona (39-21)                    12
32. Houston (29-30)                    NR
33. Arkansas (39-22)                   NR
34. Mississippi St. (42-22)            NR
35. San Francisco (38-18)              NR
36. San Diego (30-27-1)                NR
37. Stetson (35-28)                    NR
38. Washington (33-22)                 NR
39. Georgia (30-25)                    NR
40. Fresno St. (30-29)                 NR

And here are the other teams that following, in decending rank: Cal Poly SLO, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Auburn, California, UCLA, Ohio St., North Carolina St., Coastal Carolina, Louisville, U.C. Irvine, Virginia Commonwealth, Miami (Ohio), Oral Roberts, Central Florida, East Carolina, Central Michigan, Southern Illinois, Nevada-Las Vegas, San Diego St., Maine, Birmingham Southern, Jacksonville St., South Alabama, Louisiana-Lafayette, Troy, Florida International, Loyola Marymouht, Army, College of Charleston, Georgia Southern, N.C. Charlotte, Richmond, Western Carolina, Northwestern St., Lamar, Southern.

Dirtbags To Face Stiff Competition

2005-12-23T11:41:00.000-08:00

By SEBaseball.com's calculations, the Long Beach State Dirtbags will face the toughest non-conference schedule in Division I baseball, and have the 21st toughest overall schedule. These rankings are "intended," in that they are based upon each programs' performance last season.

Former Dirtbag Jered Weaver In The Show In 2006?

2005-12-23T11:27:00.000-08:00

I'm late in getting this posted, but in case you missed it here's a piece on Jered Weaver from the Orange County Register (November 20, 2005) (hat tip to reader Rhonda):

Pitching defections could push Weaver
By MARK WHICKER

The Angels are paying Jered Weaver big-league money. They might as well start collecting. At least that will be their rationalization, if they fail to sign free-agent starting pitchers Jarrod Washburn and Paul Byrd and provide Weaver a clear path to their 2006 rotation. And if that happens, Weaver is providing admirable cover for general manager Bill Stoneman. In his final start in the Arizona Fall League, Weaver strangled a lineup of Class-A and AA All-Stars with 10 strikeouts in five innings.

Watching was Marcel Lachemann, the ex-Angels manager who is serving as pitching coach for Team USA as it attempts to get through the first round of pre-Olympic qualifying. "He looked just like his brother," Lachemann said, referring to Dodgers right-hander - and incipient free agent - Jeff Weaver. "Jered's going to be our guy against Mexico." He certainly was. Weaver struck out the first six Mexicans he faced in Wednesday's second-round game. The U.S. was up, 4-2, when he left the game after four innings, and won, 5-4.

In both cases Weaver flashed the deception, the variety and the pointed control that made him the best pitcher in college baseball in 2004. The Angels, picking 12th in the first round, shook off all the red-slash warnings that appear whenever Scott Boras is representing a high college pick. They took Weaver, which seemed to indicate they were interested in signing him. They were, but not at the price Boras put on the sticker. While Boras likened Weaver to Mark Prior, whom the Cubs had taken on the second pick in 2002, Stoneman made an offer and moved about as much as Stone Mountain. Stoneman, in fact, proclaimed the deal dead in early March.

On May 30, Boras finally went to the mountain and agreed to a $4 million minor-league deal for Weaver. An hour later, and Weaver would have slid into the 2005 draft, with fewer teams willing to slow-dance with Boras. "It was a difficult time," Weaver said last week, after his AFL swansong. "I had never gone that long without pitching. I really had no idea what was going on. Every time you heard something it was different. "I worked out, sure, and I pitched in an independent league for a while, but I was off schedule. It was a time in which I could have been pitching somewhere. But I can't get caught up in the business end of it. I'm just glad it all got settled and now I feel like I've just about caught up."

Boras is perceived to have lost this round, which is a perception he likes about as much as losing itself. He still thinks the Angels were being self-destructive when they didn't sign Weaver expeditiously. "When this guy (Weaver) finished up at Long Beach State that spring, he was ready to pitch in the major leagues," Boras said. "He had great command of four pitches, and he had the velocity and the approach to help the Angels in the second half of that year. "I had a client (Craig Hansen of St. John's) who was drafted in the first round by the Red Sox this year, and they had him up at the end of the season and he was helping them. He has two pitches. Jered has four. But I think the Angels have realized that Jered is ready to help them now."

If they lose Washburn and Byrd to their competitors in free agency, the Angels might have little choice. That would leave Bartolo Colon, John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar and Ervin Santana in the rotation, and Weaver and left-hander Joe Saunders would presumably scrap for the fifth position.

...Is Weaver ready for this? "I feel pretty much like I did in college," Weaver said. "I basically was going through my own spring training during the summer. Then I hit that dead-arm stage that you always run into. Down the stretch I felt pretty sharp. Now I'm going to take a little time off and go back to Long Beach State and go over some things with (49ers pitching coach) Troy Buckley."

Weaver was 1-3 with a 5.47 ERA in the Fall League, which generally was a hitters' paradise. "He would make one mistake with his breaking ball and he'd pay for it," said Kernan Ronan, who was his pitching coach here and works with Angel minor-leaguers. "But based on the way he threw in his last outing, I'd say he's very close to the big leagues. That was the best he looked in terms of energy and aggressiveness." He was 3-3, 3.98 at Arkansas, the Angels' Double-A club, in late summer, and fanned 46 in 43 innings. All eyes will follow Weaver in spring training. He was supposed to be one of many Plan Bs for the Angels. Now he might be Plan A. Assuming there's a plan.

Sorry, Evan. I Think This Can Only Get Worse!

2005-12-23T09:59:00.000-08:00

Another Evan versus Eva Longoria piece!

Baseball America On Chris Demaria Trade

2005-12-22T14:04:00.000-08:00

This from Baseball America:

Brewers Get Bullpen Help With Demaria Deal

By Kevin Goldstein
December 22, 2005

The rapidly improving Brewers made a small move Wednesday to shore up their bullpen, sending minor league pitcher Justin Barnes to the Royals for righthander Chris Demaria.

Demaria, 25, was selected by the Royals in the minor league phase of the Rule Five draft in 2004, and while he started the year in High Class A High Desert, he finished it in the big leagues. A 17th-round pick by the Pirates in 2002 out of Long Beach State, Demaria went 8-3, 2.94 with 10 saves for low Class A Hickory in 2004 before being selected by the Royals.

In 2005, he was one of the few pitchers to find success pitching in High Desert, the friendliest hitting park in the minors, where he went 4-2, 2.23 with 19 saves in 48 games. His success continued at Double-A Wichita, where he compiled a 1.76 ERA in 10 appearances before spending the last three weeks of the season in the Royals bullpen, where he had a 9.00 ERA in nine innings. His career minor league record is 19-10, 2.81 in 139 games with 256 strikeouts in 233 innings. Demaria's fastball only gets into the upper 80s, but he spots it well and uses it to set-up a plus-plus changeup that features plenty of deception and was considered the best in the Royals system before the deal...

More Former Dirtbags In MinorLeagueBaseball.com's Organizational Reports

2005-12-22T10:50:00.000-08:00

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.

Former Dirtbag Chris Demaria Traded

2005-12-22T08:49:00.000-08:00

The Kansas City Royals have traded Chris Demaria to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Justin Barnes. Both are right handed relievers.

Update: Chris has been added to the Brewers' 40 man roster.

Former Dirtbag Jeremy Reed To The Red Sox?

2005-12-21T08:34:00.000-08:00

Not so fast!

Former Dirtbag Greg Dobbs DFAed

2005-12-21T08:28:00.000-08:00

After acquiring left handed reliever Jake Woods from the Angels (claiming him off waivers), the Seattle Mariners made room on their roster by designating Greg Dobbs for assignment. They now have 10 days to trade, release or assign him to the minor leagues (if he clears waivers).

Former Dirtbag Terrmel Sledge Traded Again...This Time To San Diego

2005-12-20T16:51:00.000-08:00

Terrmel Sledge was a Texas Ranger for 12 days. Today, he was traded by the Rangers to the San Diego Padres as part of a 6 player deal - With RHPs Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka and minor league catcher Bill Killian going to the Rangers in exchange for RHP Chris Young, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and Terrmel (an outfielder). I saw it 1st at 6-2-4 Blog.

Former Dirtbag Kirk Pierce Has Been Traded...

2005-12-20T15:57:00.000-08:00

...from the Sioux Falls Canaries of the American Association to the Edmonton Cracker Cats in the Northern League.

Mariners May Trade Former Dirtbag Jeremy Reed

2005-12-20T15:13:00.000-08:00

The Seattle Mariners, in search of more pitching, have been shopping Jeremy Reed in trade. Most of the talk has been about a trade with the Red Sox, but teams in the hunt for Johnny Damon unable to sign him may look to trade for Jeremy to play centerfield. Hat tip to reader Kurt.

Former Dirtbag Justin Hall Retires

2005-12-19T13:28:00.000-08:00

From the St. Paul Saints website:

JUSTIN HALL RETIRES

December 7, 2005 - The Saints have lost one of the best players in their history to the business world. Justin Hall, a three-time All Star who was the Most Valuable Player of the 2004 Northern League Championship Series, is leaving baseball for a career in real estate.

"Justin has been the heart and soul of this team for the past three years and he will be missed," said St. Paul manager George Tsamis. "He played hard every time out."

Hall became just the third player in team history to record 1000 career at-bats in the regular season finale at Schaumburg, September 4. He retires ranked in the top three all-time in Saints' history in seven offensive categories. He is the team's all-time leader in Triples with 11 and ranks second in Runs with 242. He ranks third in Hits (304), Doubles (55), Games Played (242) and Extra Base Hits (75). He is fourth in RBIs with 126.

"His numbers were great while he was here but what I liked the best about him was that winning was always the most important thing to him," Tsamis said.

Hall's best statistical year was 2004 when he hit .326 during the regular season. That was just a warm-up for the post-season when he hit .436 in 10 games. His last at-bat of the year proved memorable when he lined a two-out single to right to ignite the seven-run rally that led to the Saints' dramatic 10-6 win over Schaumburg to claim the Northern League championship.

Originally an 18th round draft pick by Oakland in 1998, he played four seasons in that system before moving to independent ball at Newark and Atlantic City in 2002. He joined the Saints the next year - and has been a staple at second base for Tsamis ever since. Hall retired with a career .291 batting average in 586 games over eight professional seasons.

In June, 2004, his contract was purchased by the Texas Rangers. He was slated to report to AAA Oklahoma City but never got there due to a late roster move. Instead, he returned to St. Paul and helped the team create history with an unforgettable comeback.

"Justin will do very well out of baseball because he is driven to succeed," Tsamis said. "It was a pleasure to manage him the past three seasons."

Former Dirtbag Bryan Kennedy's Season In Review

2005-12-19T10:55:00.000-08:00

TwinCitiesDugout.com has this review on Bryan Kennedy's season with the New Britain Rock Cats (AA Eastern League) (no link to story, paid subscription area):

Bryan Kennedy- C

Kennedy served as the Rock Cats starting catcher in 2005, and was pretty solid behind the plate. It was his work at the plate that needs help in 2006, as he finished the year with a meager .239 average in 72 contests. The brother of Anaheim Angels second baseman Adam Kennedy, he needs to work on getting on base, and will never be considered a legitimate catching prospect until he does so. Although he did struggle a bit behind the plate, committing six errors on the year, he did provide crucial leadership to the younger guys on the team, and handled the pitching staff well all season long.

Former Dirtbag Todd Jennings...

2005-12-19T10:29:00.000-08:00

...is the #34 prospect in the San Francisco Giants organization, according to SFDugout.com (no link to story, paid subscription area). Here's what they have to say about Todd:

Todd Jennings came out of 2003 looking pretty sunny as a prospect, a highly rated defensive catcher with a good bat-for-average tool in a system with a need for catchers as the prospects at the higher levels were having problems.

Unfortunately, that's where things ended. The Giants, unsure of Jennings' ability to stay healthy as an everyday catcher, moved Jennings to third (and pushed him to San Jose). The health worries may have been warranted, as Jennings suffered a strained shoulder after a number of struggles at High-A. But after a return to Salem-Keizer to rehab which showed some pop back in his bat, things were looking up.

The good news is that Jennings returned to San Jose, and served as one of the team's primary third basemen and did fairly well, certainly better than 2004. The bad news was that he was primarily a third baseman and otherwise shuffled around the infield.

Jennings still has the ability to hit for average. He draws a fair number of walks and doesn't strike out too often, and runs fairly well. But he really doesn't have much power. Although he reached double digits in San Jose, which is a huge improvement, the California League is a hitter's league which lessens the impact of those numbers, and Jennings didn't back them up with enough doubles and triples. If he were still a catching [prospect], that wouldn't be a big deal. But Jennings seems to be destined as an infielder, and particularly when playing the corners, low power numbers can drag a prospect down.

Maybe as Jennings gets older and stronger, he can find some way to show he can handle catching again. Being one would strengthen his chances at making the majors and playing everyday. But, should that not happen (and it's not likely), he still has some use with his versatility around the infield, and if he can keep his power improving and improve his reactions at third and second, there's some value in him being a utility player.

This year, like with many of the 2005 California League champs, is a make-it-or-break-it year, as Jennings is going to AA. AA has long been the foil for hitting prospects, particularly borderline ones who had big years in San Jose. Jennings year wasn't a banner year, so if he keeps his numbers close to what he put up in San Jose, it'll be a very good sign. But if Jennings is going to have any chance at the bigs, he's going to have to find a way to survive playing in the Eastern League.

Former Dirtbag Chris Demaria Designated For Assignment

2005-12-19T09:34:00.000-08:00

After signing 4 free agents, the Kansas City Royals on Friday designed 4 players for assignment, including Chris DeMaria. The Royals have until December 26 to either return him to the active roster, send him outright to the minors, trade him, or release him - making him a free agent. After December 26, he must clear waivers to be released or sent to the minors.

Update: The Royals intend to resign Chris, if possible. "We're going to approach each one of those guys and try to re-sign them," assistant general manager Muzzy Jackson said. "Each one of them still have some value to the organization in providing some depth, so we're going to go after them rather aggressively."

Former Dirtbag Josh Buhagiar Signs With GGL Reno

2005-12-17T11:43:00.000-08:00

From OurSportsCentral.com:

The Golden Baseball League announced that 36 players were drafted and offered contracts at the conclusion of the annual league-wide tryout held at Blair Field in Long Beach, California on December 13th and 14th. All six GBL teams selected players from the pool of 321 hopefuls that arrived from 30 States and four countries for the opportunity to play in the league. Stocking up on young arms and rookies was the focus as 19 pitchers were selected, followed by six catchers, five outfielders, three middle infielders, two third baseman, and one first baseman. All players selected had collegiate or professional experience with approximately half from California and the rest from 12 other states...

The players drafted and the teams selecting them were as follows:

...Reno Silver Sox: ..., Josh Buhagiar (OF - Penngrove, CA), ...

Josh was originally drafted into the Arizona Diamondback organization, but released earlier this year.

Former Dirtbag Brad Davis...

2005-12-17T11:38:00.000-08:00

...has been extended an invitation to the Florida Marlins' Major League spring training camp.

Jared Hughes Named NCBWA Pre-Season All American

2005-12-15T08:32:00.000-08:00

Jared Hughes has been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Assn. Pre-Season All America Team.

Tulo, McAnulty, Make Baseball America Top 10 Prospects Lists

2005-12-14T08:32:00.000-08:00

Baseball America ranks former Dirtbag Troy Tulowitzki the #2 prospect in the Colorado Rockies organization (no link to story, paid subscription area). BA had this to say about Tulo, who hit .266 in limited action (94 ABs) with a .343 OBP (9 walks) and .457 slugging percentage (6 doubles, 4 HRs) in his pro debut at advanced Class A Modesto (California League):

Background: Tulowitzki has been compared to Bobby Crosby since succeeding him at shortstop for Long Beach State. The seventh overall pick in the 2005 draft, he signed for $2.3 million. He went straight to high Class A, and the only negative in his pro debut was a torn quadriceps that limited him to 22 games.

Strengths: Most scouts think Tulowitzki is slightly ahead of Crosby, the 2004 American League rookie of the year, at the same stage of their careers and a better fit at shortstop. Tulowitzki has the stroke, strength and bat speed to hit 25-30 homers annually. Though he's big, he doesn't sacrifice any athleticism. He has above-average range and arm strength, and his exceptional instincts allow him to extend his range.

Weaknesses: Tulowitzki sometimes can get out of control and too aggressive at the plate. He could control the strike zone a little better. A broken hamate bone in the spring and the torn quad restricted his development in 2005.

The Future: Despite the injury, Tulowitzki should be able to handle the jump to Double-A for his first full season. He could be Colorado's starter by 2007.

Former Dirtbag Paul McAnulty ranks as the #8 prospect in the San Diego Padres organization, according to BA. They have this on Paul, who made his Major League debut in 2005:

Background: Former Padres scout Jason McLeod (now Red Sox scouting director) and West Coast crosschecker Chris Gwynn fell in love with McAnulty's bat at Long Beach State in 2002, when he hit .360-9-55. He won the Rookie-level Pioneer League batting title at .379 in his pro debut and hit his way to the big leagues in three years.

Strengths: McAnulty has a quick bat, quiet swing mechanics and no problem hitting lefties. He shows good patience at the plate and crushes mistakes. He's a gritty player who always gives full effort.

Weaknesses: Though he's a better athlete than his stocky frame suggests, McAnulty offers little more than his bat. He has below-average speed and arm strength. He lacks the power to profile as an everyday first baseman or corner outfielder, and he's no better than an adequate defender at those spots.

The Future: McAnulty has little chance at earning a full-time job in spring training, so he's likely ticketed for a return to Triple-A. He could emerge as a valuable bat off San Diego's bench.

Dirtbags Strength Of Schedule Tops NCAA Division I

2005-12-13T11:18:00.000-08:00

According to SEBaseball.com, the Long Beach State Dirtbags will have the toughest schedule in NCAA Division I baseball based upon opponents' performance last season. Hat tip to reader Dave for passing this one on. The schedule strength for other Big West teams is as follows:

CS Fullerton - #4.
CS Northridge - #13.
UC Riverside - #43.
UC Irvine - #61.
UC Santa Barbara - #75.
Pacific - #97.
Cal. Poly SLO - #114.

Former Dirtbag Terrmel Sledge...

2005-12-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

...has been traded by the Washington Nationals to the Texas Rangers. In the deal, Texas sends 2nd baseman Alfonso Soriano to Washington in exchange for Brad Wilkerson, Terrmel Sledge and a minor league pitcher to be named later.

Update: The minor league pitcher included in the deal is Armando Galarraga.

Three Former Dirtbags Among San Diego Padres Top 30 Prospects...

2005-12-02T10:16:00.000-08:00

...according to scout.com's MadFriars.com. Here's what they have to say today (no link to story, paid area):

By Denis Savage

Date: Dec 2, 2005

Here are the Top 30 Padres' prospects. MadFriars.com gives a little insight on each selection in our rankings but will follow up more in depth with individual scouting reports on each player throughout this off-season, starting in descending order.

When ranking prospects, much is considered. How do they profile in the future, what have they done so far, and can you give them a higher ranking for raking through the lower levels of the minors?

Each has its weight but the toughest part is determining whether a prospect that shows great intangibles at the lower levels can transfer that ability as he continues to rise up the ladder.

Without further ado, the top 30 Padres' prospects:

...5. Paul McAnulty There are few holes in his swing - he hits for average and power and maintains a semblance of patience, though his high strikeouts remain a concern. As the best left-handed hitting prospect in the system, McAnulty has shown he will do whatever it takes to make it to the next level. His dedication to the game is unsurpassed, his bat will get him to the bigs - but it may be his defensive credibility that keeps him in the Majors...

18. Neil Jamison One of the most successful relievers coming out of college last year, Jamison continued to prove he could get batters out consistently. He throws strikes, has the demeanor to close or setup and is on the fast track to the majors. He understands the art of pitching and is not afraid to come right after a hitter. Is there really anything more to say?...

23. Cesar Ramos Tired at the end of the year, Ramos is a strike throwing lefty that will be as good as his defense. He knows how to pitch and can throw four pitches for strikes, three above-average. A lefty with a lively fastball and a cutter that he likes to use on righties, Ramos profiles as a future long hauler that can eat up a ton of innings - pitching to contact...

Two Dirtbags Named To Wallace Award Watch List

2005-11-30T10:32:00.000-08:00

Each year the Collegiate Baseball Foundation presents the Brooks Wallace Award to the nation's collegiate baseball player of the year. Evan Longoria and Jared Hughes have been named to the watch list for the award. The list will be trimmed to 12 finalists in May.

For those who were wondering, yes I am still alive. After fall practice is over, there's not much college baseball news...so I took a little break.

Evan Longoria Helping Out At Western Christian HS

2005-11-14T08:41:00.000-08:00

This from the Western Christian High School baseball program website (take a look - there's a couple of nice pictures of Evan):

Long Beach State star Evan Longoria has dedicated a bit of community service to the Western Christian High School Baseball program. Longoria has made a commitment to new Head Coach Mark Gabbard to come in once every two weeks to talk and give fundamental instruction to the Lancer infielders. Longoria was recruited by and played for Coach Gabbard at Rio Hondo College during his tenure there as Assistant Head Coach. At Rio Hondo Longoria earned All-Conference, All-State, and All-American honors as a freshman before earning a scholarship to nationally ranked Long Beach State University .

Once at Long Beach , Longoria started at short stop for the #14 ranked Dirtbags before moving to third base upon the return of Troy Tulowitski (#7 overall pick in 2005 draft). Longoria went on to earn All-Conference honors there in 2005. Last summer Longoria went to play in the Cape Cod League with the best college players in the nation. By summer's end he proved to be the best of the best earning Cape Cod Most Valuable Player while leading the league in Home Runs and Runs Batted In. Longoria is a projected first round draft pick in the 2006 draft.

Coach Gabbard is more than excited to have his former recruit and player lending a helping hand with his athletes. "Evan is an amazing talent," says Gabbard. "He is the complete package of physical, emotional, and most importantly mental. Watching him blossom into one of the top players in the country has been a blessing to witness." Longoria will come in every other Friday working around his Long Beach schedule to evaluate and give pointers. Gabbard goes on to state, "I hope the kids and parents realize how special this is for our kids and our mission of turning the program into a winner. Not many high school kids, let alone private school kids, can say they are being taught by the best in the country. Hopefully they will begin to understand the commitment and time it takes to become a champion. This is truly a blessing to our mission."

Update On Former Dirtbag Chris Demaria From The AFL

2005-11-14T08:36:00.000-08:00

From Friday, the Kansas City Royals website has this:

RHP Chris Demaria -- In the past week, Demaria worked four scoreless innings over three games to lower his ERA to 3.95. He also compiled a 1-2 record in nine relief appearances.

More Future Dirtbags Sign National Letters Of Intent

2005-11-11T15:54:00.000-08:00

In addition to Willie Cabrera and Jason Tweedy, Baseball Resource has TJ Mittelstaedt, a shortstop at Mission Viejo HS, and Kyle Harper, a RHP with Orange Coast College signing National Letters of Intent with Long Beach State.

TJ Mittelstaedt holds the Mission Viejo HS Diablos record for doubles in a season, for the 10 he hit in 2004. He's 2nd on the all-time home run list, with 10 in 2005. He bats left and throws right. He also pitches for the Diablos. Last season he batted .350, with a .464 on base percentage, and slugged at .800 (courtesy MaxPreps).

Kyle Harper pitched at Fresno State as a freshman in 2004, appearing in only 3 games (1.0 innings). I'll post more on Kyle later.

On Deck Baseball Prospects...

2005-11-11T15:42:00.000-08:00

...has this on former Dirtbag Jered Weaver:

...RHP Jered Weaver (Angels) turned in his best start of the AFL campaign, fanning 10 batters in 5 scoreless frames of 3-hit ball. Weaver's ERA was a soft 5.47 and opponents hit .294 against him in his 7 starts. On the sunny side of life, Weaver struck out 35 batters and walked just 4 in 24.2 innings pitched. There's a good chance that Weaver makes his big league debut next year...