Ft Myers Miracle Game

[LyleCole]

Went to the game tonight with the excitement of seeing Lackey and Tinney.   Wasn't much of a show.

Observations

1.   Vahn Lackey did not have a very good game.   He DHd and batted second.   Struck out looking on a cutter barely on the plate in first AB.   Second AB just got under the ball and flew out to the LF warning track.  Third AB, the Cardinals had brought in this junk ball thrower.  Just about everything off speed with a 89 mph fastball once every 10 pitches.  72 mph.  78mph.  84mph.  72 mph.   The Miracle Mussel hitters had a hard time adjusting (the starting pitcher was clocking 99 mph) and everything seemed to go to a full count.  But Lackey chased a pitch out of the zone for a swinging strikeout.   THen in the 4th AB against what I would say is an average A level pitcher he squibbed a little roller to the pitcher.   

I will say that the many of the players have been playing professional minor league baseball for a whole season to date and now these college draft picks are stepping in with a wood bat and catching up.

2.   Carson Tinney caught tonights game.   I remember when Ryan Jeffers was in Ft Myers thinking he was a big damn catcher.  Tinney is even bigger.  The home plate umpire wasn't the tallest guy and I was questioning if he would even be able to see over Carson.  Carson is very selective at the plate and drew at least one walk.  And while I admit I am not a baseball swing expert, I do not like how he drops his hands almost to his waist in preparing for the pitch.   I don't think that gives him enough plate coverage and he is going to struggle getting to strikes thrown by professional pitchers.   WIth an aluminum bat against NCAA pitchers he could get away with this.  As a catcher he seemed to present a nice frame and he had really nice throws to 2nd during warm ups.   But, the one stolen base attempt was a hard offspeed pitch to handle and he bobbled the ball without a throw.  Then later in the game, the Cardinals game winning run was scored on a play in which the throw from right field easily beat the runner, but it took a hop before the plate and Carson took his eyes off it and it hopped off his glove.  

3,  Quenton Young is a massive kid.   But he really struggles with contact and off speed stuff.   But for a big guy he made a nice play to his right on a well hit ball that he short hopped well into foul terriotry and made a nice throw to get the runner.   I will say this.   For Q to make it, he needs to get into much, much better shape.   He has that Young knock knee stance and just does not look to be well conditioned.  It might be appearance, but while he swings hard it just isn;t all there for him.  He needs to spend the offseason on a high end planned nutrition and workout regimen.  

4.  Matt Barr came into the game with a poor ERA but he looked pretty good through 4 innings.  He threw 92-93 fastball, 86-87 slurvey slider with pretty decent movement, and about 80 mph curve which he threw for several strikes.   He overthrew a couple of pitches when he worked too hard to get a perfect pitch and got under a curve ball or two.   When he threw with his repeated mechanics he was pretty decent and tonight that was most of the game.  Only one of the 4 hits was a legitimate well hit ball, the other 3 were knubbers that just got over the infield.  And I do not think he walked a batter through 4 innings.   I think he needs to add 2 mph and a bit better shape to his fastball (i was literally directly behind home plate, Section 108, Row 2, Seat 6) and get a bit more command of his off speed pitches.   WIth that I think he can advance but he might not get enough command to be a major league starter and he doesn't have enough velocity to move to the pen as a high end reliever.

5. Otherwise, the only other players I think are reasonable prospects are the Venezuelan kid Luis Fragoza who played RF and Dominican LF Jhomnardo Reyes.   Fragoza did not have a great night and struggled against the junk baller, but he seemed to have a professional approach for a 19 year old kid.   HE is listed at 6-1, 160 but he has moved well past that 160 lbs range. and is well built.  I would guess he is at at least 190 lbs and his .557 slugging percentage shows he packs a punch.  Reyes is 18 years old (-3.1 years to competition) and a much leaner kid at 6-3.  He batted cleanup and, again not a great night but Reyes has bat speed that will make him advance through the minors.  They still have a long ways to go though.

6.  Minor league baseball has really changed.   Part of it is I just moved back to Ft Myers and this was the first live game for me when it was a A, not the A+ level league.  The rosters of these low minor leagues seem to be filled with very inexpensive Latin players and a sprinkling of draft picks.  It still is a fun experience.