Two Pitchers and a Fantasy Geek...

[DOUGHBOYS]

I can tell this story after sitting on it for over a month...

In June, my wife and I went to a Colorado Springs Sky Sox game, AAA affiliate of the Rockies.

Our tickets were comped by the company my wife works for and we got seats behind home plate.

Sacramento, the team the Sky Sox were playing featured Jemile Weeks and Scott Sizemore at the time. The Sky Sox two players of note were Charlie Blackmon and Ian Stewart.

With our location behind home plate, I saw scouts for other teams. I thought the two guys sitting in back of us were scouts. They kept a chart, not a scoresheet.



I asked these fellas how they got to be scouts when they didn't look old enough to drink.

"We're not scouts. We pitch for the Sky Sox. When we're hurt and can't dress, they make us chart pitches."

After the little bit of an eyeroll when I told him I played high stakes fantasy baseball, I asked them if they wouldn't mind some questions.

They obliged.

I asked them who the best hitter in the Pacific Coast League was, not counting teammates (players like to deflect questions like this by saying they have a lot of good hitters on their own bench).

At the same time, both said the same name, Collin Cowgill.

They said his outs were hard hit and that they never found a real weakness. They were impressed by his base running skills as well.

As one of the pitchers put it, "He plays like he wants to be in the Show now. He always busts his ass on the field and doesn't do it in a 'look at me' way.



At the time, Mike Moustakas was still playing in Omaha. I asked about him and if his press clippings matched his ability. Both shook their head no.

"He hit a dinger off me on a 3-0 pitch, and really, he only hurt us when he was ahead in the count. He might succeed in the Majors, but I think it's going to take time. He has holes in his swing that we were taking advantage of, Big League pitchers will only make it worse for him."



I could tell they were getting a little squirmish about talking about individual players, so I changed the subject later in the game. When Ian Stewart was up, I asked if when these guys that have been in the Bigs come down to play minor league ball, do they pick up some dinner tabs and make life easier on the guys in the minors?

They answered that some do and some don't. They said that when Giambi was down last year, he was free with his time and money and was very approachable. Nodding at Stewart, one said, "And some guys give off the sense that I'm better than you."



Those fellas made that game a lot more fun for me (less for my wife ) but taking a flyer on Cowgill was a must when he became available.

I don't have much faab money left, so I was glad he had a low key week, in his first at the Big Level and that the Diamondbacks hit him in the eight-hole.



Those pitchers are still with the Sky Sox while Moustakas, Stewart, and Cowgill have all moved up to the Show.

They can take heart in a few things though.

So far, they've been right about Moustakas, he has struggled.

Cowgill has made it to the Show.

And Stewart, Stewart may have given off the vibe at Colorado Springs as if 'I don't belong here'.

But, in Denver, it may be Stewart's teammates who are giving off similar thoughts, 'You don't belong here'.

[ToddZ]

If Greg is reading he will verify, but based on this story, I think someone would absolutely EAT UP the atmosphere at the AFL....



[ August 01, 2011, 12:08 PM: Message edited by: ToddZ ]

[Dub]

I'll take a flier on him Thanks.



Doughy -



The guess who game? I have both of these guys on one team.

avg r hr rbi sb

Player 1 : 228 49 17 55 12

Player 2: 214 37 14 46 4



x

x

x





Player 1- Danny Espinosa

Player 2- Miguel Olivo



who does that say more about Espinosa or Olivo?

[DOUGHBOYS]

Originally posted by Dub:

I'll take a flier on him Thanks.



Doughy -



The guess who game? I have both of these guys on one team.

avg r hr rbi sb

Player 1 : 228 49 17 55 12

Player 2: 214 37 14 46 4



x

x

x





Player 1- Danny Espinosa

Player 2- Miguel Olivo



who does that say more about Espinosa or Olivo? Really, the only things we knew about these two going into the season, was that they both had pop for their positions and that they would most likely hit for a low average.

They've delivered on both.



They are both roster construction type guys. If your team can take the hit in batting average and needs power and a little speed, they're takeable.

I have a team where I shot myself in the foot by taking Uggla/Pena/Olivo.

I was banking on Uggla and Pena's average getting higher in their new surroundings.

I bought into Uggla's career hitting marks in Atlanta and Pena going back to his old hitting coach.

I sport the lowest average in my league.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Originally posted by ToddZ:

If Greg is reading he will verify, but based on this story, I think someone would absolutely EAT UP the atmosphere at the AFL.... One of these years, I'm gonna go, Todd.



What better place to be in November than Arizona.

Where the ballparks are plentiful, the players and scouts accessible, fast food abounds, and Numerish is the second language.

[Dub]

Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:

quote:Originally posted by Dub:

I'll take a flier on him Thanks.



Doughy -



The guess who game? I have both of these guys on one team.

avg r hr rbi sb

Player 1 : 228 49 17 55 12

Player 2: 214 37 14 46 4



x

x

x





Player 1- Danny Espinosa

Player 2- Miguel Olivo



who does that say more about Espinosa or Olivo? Really, the only things we knew about these two going into the season, was that they both had pop for their positions and that they would most likely hit for a low average.

They've delivered on both.



They are both roster construction type guys. If your team can take the hit in batting average and needs power and a little speed, they're takeable.

I have a team where I shot myself in the foot by taking Uggla/Pena/Olivo.

I was banking on Uggla and Pena's average getting higher in their new surroundings.

I bought into Uggla's career hitting marks in Atlanta and Pena going back to his old hitting coach.

I sport the lowest average in my league. [/QUOTE]Both have been extremely efficient with their hits. I am in second and near the top in average (Reyes and Muprhy have been good offsets).