I have the unfortunate task of closing out the DFR schedule for summer baseball leagues…..don’t worry though, fall league baseball is right around the corner.
It was a great season for the minor league affiliates and it has been great sharing it with all who contribute with comments as well as the readers who prefer to “lurk”. It is all of you who make this a great site to visit!
Pacific Coast League Champions: Tacoma Rainiers
The Hitters:
- James Rapoport went 3-for-5 w/ 1 BB, 2 R, and 1 SB
- Daniel Descalso went 3-for-6 w/ 1 RBI and 2 R
- Allen Craig contributed with a single
- Mark Hamilton went 3-for-6 w/ 1 HR, 4 RBI, and 1 R
- Amaury Cazana had two singles
- Donovan Solano scored a run
The Pitchers:
- P.J. Walters got the start and got lit up, he gave up 6 H, 5 ER, and 2 BB in his 5.0 innings, he also struck out 7
- Matt Scherer, Rich Rundles, and Adam Reifer all went 1.0 inning with 2 K with only Scherer giving up a run
- Josh Kinney went 2.0 innings that included 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB and 1 K
- Eduardo Sanchez ended his first stint in Memphis in miserable fashion though it seems three of the hits were soft bloop singles, he went 1.0 inning and gave up 4 H, 4 ER, 1 B, and 2 K
Entries (RSS)
Rough way for Memphis to go out. Will Hamilton be traded this offseason?
Teams will be lining up to add a 27 year old 1b with a 2/1 K/BB ratio and an inability to stay healthy.
I never said we’d get anything in return. I just asked if he will get traded as a throw in somewhere.
.302 .384 .567 line at AAA for his career
.322 .417 .571
and
.336 .429 .691
against RHPs in 2009 and 2010 respectively
The dude can hit righties in the majors. He definitely has nothing left to prove at AAA.
If teams are that worried about his health, the Cards can trade him to an AL team willing to give him time at DH.
Hamilton turned 26 2 months ago. I don’t know specifics, but looking at his ab’s it doesn’t look like he’s had a ton of injuries either. One thing I like about this site and the comments posted on here as opposed to something like Cardstalk on the Post is that the posters on here seem to have more knowledge and don’t just post silly things as fact without any real knowledge.
Why isn’t a guy like Hamilton getting some OF time in the AZ fall league?
I think his strikeouts are a problem. Even on a rehab assignment in the GCL this year he had 9 K in 9 games. No question he’s been productive, but when a mature player in his mid-20s has a K rate above 20% in the minors, that’s a pretty strong indication that he’ll be chewed up and spit out by MLB pitchers.
There’s also the problem of defensive limitations, along with some suboptimal optics. Over the years various posters have said that he doesn’t present himself well on the field — he just doesn’t look like he’s hustling. I’ve only seen him play one time, and that was last year in the AAA championship game. Maybe I noticed this because I was looking for it, but on the one difficult chance he had (a popup in foul territory), it didn’t look like he tried very hard to make the play.
That said, I don’t see any reason to move him in the offseason, unless they need his spot on the 40-man roster. He provides credible depth.
very good question
Hamilton has hit for power on a consistent basis, when not on the DL. If Pujols were injured or if Albert departs via free agency, Hamilton could take over 1B in 2012. If Hamilton stayed off the DL, he could be better than the Barton we traded for Mulder or better than Brett Wallace, in terms of power.
Hamilton does not run as well as Chris Duncan, so it might be hard for him to play LF.
Its good to have Hamilton around. He can backup Pujols, from Memphis, in 2011.
Hamilton is a lot more promising than Mike Ferris.
What a debut for Descalso
Is it better to have your name in a major league box score without having the chance to actually play or not being put into a game at all? Even if he was removed before he engaged in a play, he can honestly say that he made the major leagues.
Hamilton and Descalso both made outs while pinchhitting today vs. Florida.
Of course, so did most everyone else.