Prospect Profile: Reid Engel

AGE: 20
BORN: 5/7/87
Height:6-3
Weight:190
Bats:Left
Throws: Right
Acquired: 2005 Draft, 5th Round
Position: Right Field
Player Comparison: Steve Finley
Current Team: Greenville Drive (Low A)
Rank: BA: Unknown Sox Prospects- #17




Scouting Report( Courtesy of SoxProspects.com):

Speedy and athletic left-handed hitting outfielder. Makes good contact, above average plate discipline. Decent power, but needs to build up strength a bit. Raw with a high ceiling, still playing above his age level. Intelligent. Probably could stand to bulk up a little, but he's still young so that can be expected. Plays a sold right field. The Red Sox organization thinks very highly of Engel.

Season Stats: AVG  G  AB   HR   RBI  TB  BB  SO  SB  OBP  SLG  OPS
             .304  60 217   3   28   94  22  40  7   .382 .433 .815

Career Stats: AVG  G  AB   HR   RBI  TB  BB  SO  SB  OBP  SLG  OPS 
             .247 62  251  22   26   88  13  53  5   .283 .351 .633

Amateur Career: Reid Engel attended Lewis-Palmer High School in Longmont Colorado where he played baseball. Reid showed potential as a 5-tool prospect with plus speed and a projectable frame. In his senior year, he hit .431 with 6 Home Runs and 37 RBI. Reid was and still is a very intelligent player who made Academic All State. Engel committed to Baylor University, but signed with the Red Sox (154K Bonus) after they made him a 5th round selection in 2005.

Pro Career:
In 2005, Engel signed early enough to play 27 games for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox. He hit at a .233 and only slugged .330, but showed good plated discipline and some raw ability.

Reid was assigned to repeat the GCL in 2006 as a 19 year old. After six games where he hit .200 for the Sox GCL affiliate, Engel was promoted to Lowell (Short Season) where he became the youngest player on the team and played center field. He was disappointing for Lowell hitting a decent .251, but only got on base at a .280 clip and did not show much power with a .355 slugging percentage. Engel whiffed 48 times too.

This season, the Red Sox thought highly enough of Engel to start him in full season ball for the South Atlantic League's Greenville Drive(Low A). He is the team's right fielder. Engel got off to a slow start batting just .200 in April with a .458 OPS. As May came around,so did Engel's bat. Engel raked in May, putting up a line of .410/.473/.602. After cooling off slightly in June, when he hit .282, Engel is batting .304/.382/.433. Engel played flawless right fielder with 0 errors on the season. He played well enough in the first half to earn himself a starting spot on the Sally League All Star team.

Projection:
Engel at 20, is young for his level and has a very bright future. He needs to show some more power and add more muscle to his frame in order to climb up through the ranks and produce at the higher levels. Engel is still a very raw talent who has as good of a chance of becoming a big league star as he does of becoming a career Minor League filler. Engel is a very good sleeper prospect who deserves more publicity and hype than he is getting. Look for him to start 2008 in Lancaster.

Sox Prospects: Reid Engel
MILB.COM: Reid Engel

RED SOX NOTES 6/29

- Due to a busy schedule today, the first ever prospect profile will be posted on Saturday or Sunday. The prospect profiled will be Greenville outfielder, Reid Engel.

RED SOX NOTES

 
                    TEXAS VS BOSTON 6/29 

- The offense didn't show up tonight, but the three game losing streak is over as the Red Sox beat Texas 2-1. Check the wrap and the recap here.

- PLAYER OF THE GAME: TIM WAKEFIELD

  LINE:     IP   H  R  ER  BB  SO 
            6.2  7  1  1   4   4

- PLAY OF THE GAME: With the bases loaded in the top of the 7th, Manny Delcarmen threw a fastball, that Sammy Sosa couldn't catch up to, ending the inning.

- I love the flair that Jon Papelbon plays with. The look on his face when he thought he beat Kenny Lofton to the bag was priceless. He is a competitor and loves to win. I love players that play their hardest and love winning.

- Alex Cora started in Julio Lugo's place for the second time this week. He was hitless in three at bats. Lugo continues to struggle and is 0 for his last 31 at bats.

RANDOM NOTES

I leave you with a video of Royals center fielder, Joey Gathright jumping over a car:

Sox Lose Another Winnable Game

Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched his best game as a Red Sox yesterday, giving up one run on 3 hits, in 8 innings pitched. Matsuzaka walked just one batter and struck out 8. Daisuke received a no decision in a 2-1 loss after receiving no help from his offense.

The Red Sox offense was truly pathetic. They could not manufacture any runs against Mariners starter Brian Feierabend, a soft tossing lefty who entered the game with a 1-2 record and an 8.20 ERA. Their only run came on a sacrifice fly by Coco Crisp, which was created by a throwing error.

Boston had a great opportunity to break open a 1-1 tie in the 7th inning with David Ortiz stepping to the plate with one out and men on second and third. George Sherill got Ortiz to fly out, but Boston still had a chance with Manny Ramirez coming up to bat. Manny was overpowered by reliever Brandon Morrow and the Red Sox were done. The tie lasted until the bottom of the 11th when Joel Piniero (Cringe) came in and gave up a game winning double to Jose Lopez.

Red Sox Notes

- If your two best players are not coming through in key situations you are not going to win. Rotoworld made the perfect comment about Manny and Ortiz:

Think about what kind of record the Red Sox might have right now if their two best hitters ever came through in big situations. David Ortiz is has just one RBI in 31 at-bats in close-and-late situations this season, and Manny is hitting .233 with four RBI in 30 at-bats. Ortiz's struggles are probably a fluke. Manny, though, is frequently being overpowered by top relievers. It's a definitely cause for concern.

-The Sox need to come out strong on Friday against Texas starter Jamey Wirght. On the season, Wright is 1-1 with a 7.43 ERA. If they do not rock Wright, I might have to smash my TV with a baseball bat.

- Look on the bright side guys. Even after being swept the Sox have the best record in baseball and 9 games up on second place Toronto. The Yankees are even further behind at 11 games back.

- Has Daisuke finally arrived? Matsuzaka finished June with a 2-2 record and a 1.59 ERA. His season ERA dropped by more than a point from 4.83 to 3.80. The Dice Man has only received 7 runs of support in his last 6 starts.

- I have realized that the key to beating the Red Sox is to put a soft tossing lefty on the mound. Chuck James, Lenny Dinardo and Brian Feirebend have all stymied the Sox this season.

RANDOM NOTES

- If you are a Minor League Baseball fan or just an avid follower of Red Sox prospects you should play MILB Beat the Streak, a fantasy game at MILB.com. Each day you pick one Minor League player that you think will get a hit. If the player gets a hit, you start to build a streak. If the player fails to get a hit your streak ends and you start all over. The person with the longest streak by the end of the season will receive tickets to a Minor League baseball game of the choice and a $250 shopping spree at MLB.com.

- A's DH, Jack Cust after a monster start to his season cooled of for a little while. He is smashing the ball again with four home runs in his last five games. Check out an interesting article on Cust at The Hardball Times.

- Tomorrow, I am going to start a Prospect Profile segment. Each week I will take a closer look at a Red Sox prospect or a prospect of interest. Check back tomorrow to see the star of this week's prospect profile.

Interesting Tidbit from the Elias Sports Bureau

Today, seven starting pitchers in their 40's will take the mound for their respective teams, setting a Major League record. The record of six pitchers in their 40's starting Major League games in one day, was set last Friday. The same six pitchers from Friday are scheduled to take the mound today in addition to Roger Clemens of the Yankees. Here is the list:

Starter               Team        Age 
Roger Clemens         Yankees     44
Jamie Moyer           Phillies    44
Kenny Rogers          Tigers      42
Greg Maddux           Braves      41
Tom Glavine           Mets        41
Woody Williams        Astros      40
John Smolts           Braves      40

* Courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau

Please be Patient with Jon Lester

Red Sox Nation seems frustrated with Jon Lester after three straight sub par pitching performances for Pawtucket. The worst of the three, came last night against the Louisville Bats where he gave up 8 earned runs on 9 hits in 4.1 innings. His stuff isn't as sharp and there is less life on his fastball because of stamina issues.

Sox fans need to patient with Lester. The guy just came back from leukemia and deserves a freebie for the season. It is a blessing that a sick and weakened Lester has even been able to pitch this year. Let him work on his command and regain his stamina for the rest of the year in Triple A. If he can help the Red Sox in September, it will be icing on the cake. If not, with his heart, desire and talent, he will be more than ready for Spring Training and a breakout 2008 season.

NOTES FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE
- Brewer's farmhand Manny Parra threw a perfect game tonight, leading the Nashville Sounds over the Round Rock Express in Pacific Coast League Action. On the season, the 24 year old southpaw is 8-4 with a 2.45 ERA and a .221 OBA. He has solid ground ball tendencies with a 1.31 GO/AO and averages over a strike out per and inning.

- Am I the only one that is sick of Ozzie Guillen and his escapades? Ken Williams needs to fire this guy immediately, after his newest sophmoric comment:

"We have to apologize to the fans watching this thing because I'm tired of watching this day in and day out. ... Wow. You thought I was a good manager. Well, look at me now. I'm not that good. You're as good as your players are."

There is no excuse for a manager throwing his team under the bus publicly especially in Guillen's case. He does not deserve the benefit of the doubt with his past history of idiotic comments. Note to Ken Williams: Grow some stones and fire the loose cannon.

- Check out Red Sox pitching prospect Clay Buchholz as he vacates the #5 spot on Baseball America's Prospect Hot Sheet.

BEUHRLE ANYONE?

Yesterday, The Boston Herald reported that, "baseball sources," confirmed that the Boston Red Sox are interested in Chicago White Sox ace, Mark Beuhrle. Beuhrle, 28 years old, is one of the best and most consistent pitchers in the majors. The southpaw has great command and throws a low 90's fastball, complemented by one of the best changeups in the game and a cutter that he often uses as his out pitch. He has an amazing pick off move. Buehrle is also very durable. He has started at least 32 games a season, since he
became a full time starter in 2001. This season he is 4-4 with a 3.39 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. He threw a no-hitter against Texas on 4/18/07.

If the Red Sox were to add Beurhle, they would have the best rotation in the bigs, hands down. Also if Curt Schilling's arm is worse than he is indicating, the Sox will need another high quality arm (Beuhrle) to pitch every 5th day for the stretch run. Come on Red Sox fans; don't tell me you wouldn't drool over a playoff rotation of Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Schilling and Beuhrle.

There are two issues that would have to be addressed in order for the Sox to acquire Beuhrle.

Issue #1: What prospects would Boston give up?
- Sources indicate that Chicago would want at least one top tier prospect: Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester, Jacoby Ellsbury. Logic indicates that the Sox would also need to include one of their second tier prospects: Michael Bowden, Brandon Moss, and Jed Lowrie. All of these players have bright futures, but the only one that I consider untouchable and would not trade for Beuhrle is Clay Buchholz. Sorry but there isn’t going to be a Kason Gabbard and Moss for Beuhrle deal. To get value, one needs to give value.

Issue #2: Beuhrle is an unrestricted free agent after this season.
- The front office will not give any value to the White Sox for Beuhrle without a contract extension. The draft pick compensation gained if Beuhrle walks at the end of the season would not be worth, a deal involving quality players, f/e Ellsbury and Bowden. I would not give Beuhrle anymore than 5 YRS/60 mill.

While a Beuhrle acquisition would help Boston, it would be a very complicated acquisition to make. I would rate the chances of the Red Sox acquiring him at 30%.

- QUESTION: If you were Theo, what prospects would you be willing to give up to acquire Beuhrle and what kind of contract would you sign him to?

Random Notes

- Josh Beckett was brilliant yesterday, outdueling Jake Peavy for his Major League leading 11th win. Beckett pitched 8 innings, giving up 2 earned runs and tying a season high by striking out 8 batters.

- RIP, Rod Beck. Rod Beck sadly passed away at his home in Arizona on Sunday. Beck played 14 Major League Seasons including 3 with the Red Sox from 99-01. Beck saved 286 games in his career and was a very down to earth man and great professional. He will never be forgotten.

Beckett vs Peavy: A Matchup You Do Not Want to Miss

In thirty minutes, Josh Beckett will take the mound against Jake Peavy and the San Diego Padres. Beckett vs. Peavy, at Petco Park nonetheless, has the potential to be one of the best pitching match ups you will ever see. The two young flamethrowers are off to the best year of their respective careers and are arguably the best single pitchers in the American and National Leagues.

Here is how they stack up against each other:
Peavy: 9-1 1.98 ERA 110 K's 3.79 K/BB
Beckett: 10-1 3.14 ERA 71 K's 3.73 K/BB

Keep in mind the fact that Peavy pitches in the National League at the best pitcher's park on the planet and has not had to pitch against the Yankees twice this year. If you are a fan of pitchers duels and fast games like me, DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS ONE!!!!

- Julio Lugo, the $36 million man is now hitting below the Mendoza Line with and average of .196. I never thought the Lugo signing was a good one, but I do not believe he would perform this badly. Hanley Ramirez, Rentawreck and O-Cab continue to drive Sox fans nuts.

- Speaking of former Red Sox shortstops, my boyhood idol, Nomar Garciaparra continues is struggling at the plate batting a solid .281, but has an OPS of only .659. He better catch fire because James Loney is a budding star, who will steal his at bats.

- The Red Sox have reached a verbal agreement with first pick (55th overall), Nick Hagadone. Hagadone, 21, is a left handed closer with a large 6-5 230 pound frame out of Washington, who the Red Sox plan on converting into a starter. He throws a low 90's fastball with good movement and control. Hagadone's out pitch is a plus slider. He is working on a developing changeup and a splitter. Hagadone was 6-1 with a 2.77 ERA for Washington this season. The Sox made a good selection with the 55th overall pick. If Hagadone's changeup progresses he has the ability to be a top starter at the big league level. At worst, he will become a lefty specialist out of the pen.

Checking in with Old Friends

5/1/06 seemed like a glorious day for Red Sox nation. Josh Bard, after 6 starts with total of 10 passed balls as Tim Wakefield's personal catcher, was traded to the San Diego Padres, along with Cla Meredith for Doug Mirabelli. The trade took place the same day Wakefield was slated to take the mound against the Yankees. After a police escort, Mirabelli arrived at Fenway Park, suited up and ready to catch just minutes before the first pitch. Mirabelli allowed no passed balls in the game and the Red Sox defeated the Evil Empire 7-3.

Mirabelli went on to start in 44 more games for the Red Sox, catching all of Wake's starts,and allowing 11 passed balls. While his defense behind the plate was fine, Doug was terrible in the batter's box hitting .193/.261/.342. Was the then 35 year old really worth Bard, a 28 year old backstop, known for his defensive prowess,and Meredith, a Triple A pitcher with a whole lot of upside, but a damaged psyche? The answer to the aforemention question, at the time was, no. Bard's bat was better than Mirabelli's and he most likely would have gotten used to catching Wakefield's knuckleball. Bard was and still is a better overall defensive catcher than Mirabelli.

Meredith alone was not even worth Mirabelli. Cla showed the potential to become a lights out setupman after dominating the minors in early 2005, an accomplishment that earned him a big league call up. In his Major League debut, Cla gave up a grand slam to Richie Sexson that looped around Pesky's Pole and was immediately shuttled back to Pawtucket. Meredith's performance suffered after his demotion from the big league club, but the sidewinder still showed great deception and good stuff.

Meredith and Bard each flourished in San Diego after the trade, which Theo Epstein has publicly admitted that he made a mistake pulling the trigger on. Bard did a fantastic job in 93 games for the Padres, handling the pitching staff well, allowing no passed balls, and hitting .338/.506/.337. Meredith was arguably the top reliever in the National League. The then 23 year old went 5-1 with a 1.07 ERA and .71 whip in 50.2 innings pitched. Meredith had a K/BB ratio of 6 and a ridiculous GO/AO (ground out/air out) of 3.37.

Currently all 3 of these players, play for the same teams and are set to make appearances in this weekend's Red Sox vs. Padres match up. Up to this point in the season the Bard to Mirabelli comparison favors Bard:


BARD: GS:44 AVG.257 OBP .337 SLG .351
MIRRABELLI: 17 .194 .254 .306

While Bard hasn't put up great offensive numbers, they are still much better than Mirabelli's. One might argue that Mirabelli's job is to catch Wake and that he is doing a great job doing it. The problem with that argument is that Bard, with his defensive prowess, most likely would have adjusted to Wakefield. Although Mirabelli does a fine job catching Wake, he is an automatic out in our lineup. Bard is not a great hitter, but he is far from an automatic out. Bard is a 29 year old, entering his prime, who could have stuck with the team for years, while Mirabelli is a 36 year old, whose best days are long gone. I do not understand the logic of trading a better, younger player along with a prospect for a worse, older player.

Oh, and then there is Meredith. Cla is not having as dominant of a year in 07 as he did in 06, but he has still been a solid setupman for Trevor Hoffman. Meredith is 2-5 with a 3.50 ERA and 1.44 whip. He has shown even better ground ball tendencies with a GO/AO of 4.80. If Cla were still with the Sox he would be competing with Manny Delcarmen for the final relief spot and may still be in Triple A. He was expendable and most likely still would be, but not at the price of Mirabelli. Then again, it isn't the first time the Red Sox traded a young pitcher that turned into a stud setupman for Mirabelli. Boston traded Justin Duscherer to the Rangers in exchange for Mirabelli in 2001. At least none of these trades were as bad as Jeff Bagwell for Larry Andersen.

New David Ortiz Commercial

If you haven't seen the new David Ortiz commericial for Sports Center, you are missing out on a good laugh. It is the second commericial by ESPN that Ortiz has been featured in (SEE FIRST HERE). Here it is:

Don't worry, Papi. I would be more than honored to shake your saliva filled hands. I probably would never wash my hands after that. I could even take some of the spit, put it in a water bottle and sell it on ebay like Luis Gonzalez did with his gum.

- Congratulations to Red Sox top prospects, Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz, who were selected to participate in this year's All Star Future's game, for the United States team. The World team featuring Franklin Morales, Carlos Gonzalez and Joey Votto is going to have their hands full against a stacked U.S. team. (US ROSTER)(WORLD ROSTER)

Best Nicknames in Baseball

I don't have much time today to do a true article or even a preview of this weekend's series with the Padres. Instead I will leave you with my list of favorite nicknames of current players:

1. Albert Pujols "Phat Albert"
2. Travis Hafner "Pronk"
3. Shane Victorino "The Flyin' Hawaiian"
4. Dmitri Young "Da Meat Hook"
5. Keji Johjima "Yo Mamma"

Honorable Mention: Boof Bonser
Boof would be the number one name on the list if it was actually his nickname. In 2001, Bonser legally changed his name from John Paul to Boof, a nickname that he had been called since his childhood.

Clay Buchholz: THE REAL DEAL

I drove up to Norwich tonight to see the Portland Sea Dogs play a double header against the Connecticut Defenders , mainly to get a closer look at Sox wonder boy Clay Buchholz, who pitched game one of the twin bill. Buchholz is the real deal and seems more advanced at this stage in his development than Jon Papelbon was. Today he struggled a little bit with fastball command, but his off speed stuff was unhittable. Buchholz did a fantastic job mixing up his pitches, keeping batters off balance throughout the game. Clay finished with the win, pitching 5 innings of no run ball. He fanned six batters and only walked one. This season, Buchholz is 5-2 with a 1.82 ERA and 100 K's in 74 innings pitched.

Buchholz throws a fastball that sits in the low 90's and tops out around 97, a hard 12-6 curve and a plus changeup. He was drafted by the Red Sox in the supplemental first round of the 2005 MLB Draft. Clay was rated by Baseball America as the Red Sox #2 prospect at the beginning of this season. With their starting pitching depth, the Red Sox have no need to rush Buchholz to the majors. He should debut late next season or in early 2009 after gaining some more experience and developing better fastball command. With the graduation of big name pitching prospects Homer Bailey, Yovanni Gallardo, Tim Lincecum and Phil Hughes, Buchholz should be involved in the discussion for best Minor League pitching prospect. Red Sox Nation should be very,very excited about the 22 year old, who has the ability to become one of Boston's all time greats.

RANDOM NOTES

- Coco Crisp has caught fire and is showing why the Sox picked him to replace Johnny Damon. Coco has hit 3 Home Runs the last 3 games. In his last 7 games, Crisp has been 12-23, raising his batting average from .223 to .250.

- Congratulations to Red Sox farm hand, Bubba Bell. The Lancaster outfielder was named the California League All Star Game MVP. Bell went 3-5 with 2 RBI in the game. The 24 year old who has turned himself from a filler into a prospect needs to be promoted to Double A to figure out whether or not most of his success should be attributed to the Lancaster ballpark, which is the biggest launching pad in all of Minor League Baseball. On the season, Bell is batting .347/.440/.604 with 16 Home Runs. He also has ten steals.

- Jeff Francis threw 7 innings, giving up one run on 5 hits, leading the Colorado Rockies to a 6-1 victory over Andy Pettite and the New York Yankees. The Yanks are now 10 games behind the Sox in the AL East standings. HA HA HA!!!

The most important piece

The Red Sox are rollin' as we approach the mid season mark and everyone in Beantown is happy. There is no reason not to be when the Hometown team has 44 wins and is sitting comfortably in first, 8 games ahead of the Yankees in the AL East standings.If the Red Sox need to improve in one aspect, most people will say they need another hitter. I do not believe this is true. Kevin Youkilis and Mike Lowell are both having great seasons, while Manny Ramirez and JD Drew are both starting to heat up. I strongly believe that the one piece that the Sox are missing is a power arm out of the bullpen. Mike Timlin is over the hill and Brandon Donnelly is injured and will not be able to continue with his workload. Oh Yeah, Joel Pineiro is a bust! Jon Papelbon and Hideki Okajima can't pitch everyday. The Red Sox could address this issue through a trade for a player like Brad Lidge, or Eric Gagne, but the best man for the job is already in the organization. Call me crazy, but Manny Delcarmen is the key to a great second half and a World Series run.

Manny D is a hometown kid, who the Sox drafted in the second round of the 2000 MLB Draft out of West Roxbury (MA) HS as a starting pitcher. Delcarmen signed to late to play in 2000, so he started his career in 2001 in the Gulf Coast League. Manny dominated the GCL going 4-2 with a 2.54 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 46 innings. Delcarmen earned a promotion to Low Class A Augusta in 2002. At Augusta, he went 7-8 with an ordinary 4.10 ERA, but struck out a batter per an inning with 136 k's. Manny started 2003 with High Class A Sarasota. His season did not last long. On April 22, Delcarmen injured his elbow against the Dunedin Blue Jays. The injury required "Tommy John" surgery, and he was shut down for the season. Manny came back to Sarasota for 2004, where he had an ordinary season and lost most of his prospect status.

In 2005, the Red Sox decided the best thing for Delcarmen was to turn him into a reliever and let him loose at Double A Portland. Manny responded well quickly earning himself a promotion to Triple A Pawtucket where he went 3-1 with a eye opening 1.29 ERA in 15 games. Delcarmen impressed the Red Sox front office enough to merit a late season callup. Manny had no record, but had a 3.00 ERA with 9 K's in 9 innings for Boston.

In his first extended season with Boston in 2006, Manny was mediocre with a 2-0 record and 5.06. He wasn't great, but he did not pitch as badly as his ERA indicates. He should have earned a spot in the Red Sox pen for 2007, but Theo was too busy signing garbage like Joel Pineiro to large contracts.

Manny has pitched well this season in Pawtucket with a 3.38 ERA. He has held opposing hitters to a .243 BA and has struck out 37 batters in 29.1 innings. His ground ball tendencies have really impressed me.

Delcarmen throws a fastball that sits around 95 MPH and tops out around 98. He throws a plus 12-6 curve, which might be his best pitch, and a solid changeup that keeps batters honest. When he is commanding his fastball well is close to unhittable. Manny has the tools to be a very good major leaguer. The Red Sox need bullpen help to make a playoff run and will rely heavily on the hometown kid. Manny Delcarmen, I hope your ready for the challenge.

RANDOM NOTES

- WEEI reported that Curt Schilling has been sent back to Boston to be checked out by the medical staff. If Schilling is placed on the DL, Jon Lester would probably be called up to take his place. Schilling is 0-2 with a 10.61 ERA, since his one hit gem against Oakland. Yesterday in 4.1 innings against Atlanta, Schill did not strike out one batter.

- Brandon Moss is a Triple A pitcher's nightmare and one of the more underrated players in the Red Sox farm system. He was named the Red Sox' #2 prospect and MLB's 72nd best prospect by Baseball America at the start of the 2005 season. After two inconsistent years in Portland Moss is has found his stroke again. He is batting .306/.406/.555 in 67 games. Moss has 12 HR and 49 RBI. With the logjam in the Boston outfield Moss will most likely be traded. If Moss is not traded, look for him to get a September callup.

- Today in the Texas League, last year's #1 overall draft pick, Luke Hochever, will face off against #2 overall pick Greg Reynolds. Surprisingly, this is the first time that the #1 and #2 overall picks of any draft have squared off in the minors.

THE NL TEAM

Yesterday I posted my picks for starters on the AL All Star team.
Here are my NL picks:

C RUSSELL MARTIN- .288/.356/.450- This pick is a no brainer. The catcher position in the National League is terrible. Brian McCann has taken a huge step back. Martin has hit 7 HR and driven in 41 RBI. He is a solid backstop and a workhorse behind the plate. He has started all 62 Dodger games behind the plate.
Runner Up: Brad Ausmus

1B PRINCE FIELDER- .290/.374/.637- The Brewers have emerged from NL Central cellar dwellers to contenders. “The Prince” is one of biggest reasons (No pun intended) for this transformation. He is leading the National League with 25 Home Runs and is second in RBI with 54. Fielder has emerged as a prime MVP candidate. Prince even showed some wheels by hitting an in the parker yesterday. That’s the last time that is going to happen.
Runner Up: Albert Pujols

2B CHASE UTLEY- .320/.397/.572- The best second baseman in the majors is clobbering NL pitching. The former UCLA star has kept the Phillies in contention in the absence of slugger and reigning NL MVP, Ryan Howard. Utley leads all Major League second basemen with 12 homeruns and 54 RBI.
Runner Up: Kelly Johnson

SS HANLEY RAMIREZ - .322/.386/.493- Shortstop is the most exciting position in the National League. It is filled with high energy young players that run fast, hit power and play wizard like defense. In the NL shortstop race you can take your pick between Ramirez, Jose Reyes and Edgar Renteria. Renteria. Hanley is having a great sophomore campaign with 8 Homers and 136 total bases. Hanley has stolen 22 bases at a clip of 81.5%.
Runners Up: Edgar Renteria, Jose Reyes

3B MIGUEL CABRERA- .332/.400/.613- Sorry Jose Reyes and David Wright, Cabrera and Hanley Ramirez team up to form the best lest side of the infield in the National League. The young superstar, who burst onto the baseball scene in 2003 when he helped catalyze a Marlins World Championship run, is off to his best season yet. Cabrera leads all NL third basemen with 16 Homers and 51 RBI.
Runner Up: Aramis Ramirez

OF MATT HOLIDAY- .363/.403/.612- Holliday is one most underrated player in Major League baseball. The 27 year old has feasted on National League pitching ever since he debuted in 2004. He is not just another Coors Field wonder either. Although his splits are better at home (.401/.432/.694), Holliday has hit well on the road with a line of .321/.372/.522. Holliday is leading the league in hitting and if he continues to play this well, he should be in the running for the NL MVP award.

OF KEN GRIFFEY JR- .287/.387/.570- The switch from roaming center field to right field has done wonders for Griffey. He has fresh legs, is injury free, and is raking. JR has been one of the few bright spots for the Reds this season. He has hit 18 Home Runs and has driven in 43 RBI. Griffey is 19 Home Runs away from joining the 600 HR home run club.

OF BARRY BONDS -.287/.492/.581- The most hated man in baseball got off to a torrid start to begin the season. He has slowed down a bit, but still is the most feared NL batter. Bonds leads the majors with 26 intentional walks and a God like .492 On Base Percentage. Barry is eight home runs away from breaking Hank Aaron’s record. I despise the man and have no doubt that he has done steroids, but until he fails a drug test or stops putting up huge numbers, the man deserves to be an All Star.
Runners Up: Aaron Rowand, Hunter Pence, Carlos Lee

RANDOM NOTES

-The Lowell Spinners start their New York Penn League season tomorrow against the Oneonta Tigers. The team is coached by former Angel player and Massachusetts native, Gary Discarcina. The Spinners roster contains many intriguing young prospects from last seasons draft like Caleb Clay, Ty Weeden and Ryan Kalish. A player that I am interested in seeing perform is converted Dominican outfielder, Willy Mota, who will pitch for the Spinners. If you live in the area, I highly reccomend taking the trip to LeLacheur Park for a Spinners game. It is a very fun atmosphere and you will see some high quality baseball.

Mid Summer Classic: Please Vote Wisely

The 2007 MLB All Star Game will be played at the beautiful AT&T Park in San Francisco on Tuesday,July 10. The date is coming near and fans only have 11 more days to vote for All Stars. At MLB.com fans can vote up to 25 times on the online ballot. I urge all baseball fans to vote, but to remember the following disclaimer: VOTE FOR THE MOST DESERVING PLAYER BASED ON PERFORMANCE. Please do not vote a for a player just because he is your favorite player or he has been a superstar in the past, vote for the player that is performing the best at this time.

Here are my votes for the 2007 AL All Star Team. (I will post the NL list tommorow)

AL:
C JORGE POSADA- .347/.407/.507- Posada has been one of the few Yankees players that has showed up to play everyday. He has been a solid backstop this season and has flat out raked at the plate.
Runner Up: Victor Martinez

1B DAVID ORTIZ- .329/.445/.587- Ortiz is on the ballot this year as a first baseman because there are no DH's in All Star Games at NL parks. Ortiz has been slowed down a little bit with a leg injury and his homeruns are down with 11, but he might be on his way to the best season of his career. He is getting on base at a ridiculous .445 clip and remains one of the games most dangerous hitters.
Runner Up: Casey Kotchman

2B BJ UPTON .320/.396/.545- The mega prospect has finally arrived. Upton leads all American League second baseman in OPS and has been a fine player for the Devil Rays this season. The only thing that has slowed the 22 year old is his posistion on the disabled list, which he currently occupies. Upton has committed 12 errors at second base, but he is athletic and rangy.
Runner Up: Dustin Pedroia

SS DEREK JETER- .343/.421/.479- Captain intangibles is swinging the bat well again and is an on base machine. He is an overrated defender, but still makes plays within his range. Derek always leaves his blood and guts on the field and his inside out swing is well suited for the 2-spot in the AL lineup.
Runner Up: Orlando Cabrera

3B ALEX RODRIGUEZ-.309/.409/.679- AROD has single handedly kept the Yankees from totally tanking and falling out of the playoff race. He leads the majors with 26 home runs and 70 RBI. The 256 million dollar man has been clutch all season long with notable game winning homeruns against the Indians and Red Sox.
Runner Up- Troy Glaus

OF MAGGLIO ORDONEZ- .367/.441/.653- If the vote was held today, Magglio Ordonez would win AL MVP. He has the highest OPS in the league and his Tigers are just one game out in the central. Ordonez leads the Majors with 32 doubles and is second in RBI, driving in 61.

OF VLADIMIR GUERRERO- .329/.434/.563- Vladdy is off to another great season. Although he hasn't stolen as many bases as in years past, he has still hit 12 homers and has driven in 62 runs. Guerrero has not collected an outfield assist yet, but that is because nobody will run on him. The impalor has shown improved plate discipline this season with 43 walks.

OF Torii Hunter- .307/.354/.560- In a contract year, Hunter is off to his best season yet. The rangy defender known as Spiderman makes highlight plays with ease and covers one of the toughest outfields in baseball,The Metrodome. Torii has 14 Home Runs and 54 RBI lifting up a Twins lineup that has been hurt by the injury to Joe Mauer.
RUNNERS UP: Nick Swisher,Ichiro Suzuki, Grady Sizemore, Reggie Willits

- Random Notes

- The Brewers have called up prized prospect Yovani Gallardo to start against San Francisco on Monday. The young southpaw has breezed through Triple with an 8-3 record and a 2.90 ERA. He has held opponents to a .189 batting average and has 110 strikeouts in 77.2 innings. Gallardo is 21 years old and was rated by Baseball America as the 16th best prospect in Major League Baseball.

Rollin' the Dice

Matsuzaka Outduels Cain

Daisuke Matsuzaka threw 7 shutout innings to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 1-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants this afternoon. Matsuzaka bedazzled Red Sox fans by scattering 3 hits and striking out 8 Giants batters. Daisuke was a little wild throwing just 50% of his 112 pitches for strikes and walking three batters, but pitched himself out of the jams that he got himself into. Matsuzaka got himself out of his largest jam by striking out Rich Aurillia looking with two outs in the sixth inning, after hitting rookie outfielder, Nate Schierholtz, with a pitch to load the bases. Hideki Okajima relieved Matsuzaka in the 8th inning and quickly got himself into his own jam when he walked Randy Winn and gave up a single to Ray Durham. With no outs Okajima fell behind Barry Bonds 2-0, but the little lefthander with a big heart came back to strike out the mighty Bonds on three straight pitches. Okajima ended the inning by getting Bengie Molina to line out to shortstop Alex Cora and inducing a weak ground ball off the bat of Kevin Frandsen for the final out. Jon Papelbon came out from the bullpen for the ninth and shut the door for his 15th save of the season.

Matsuzaka improved his record to 8-5 with the victory. He now has a 4.13 ERA and is 5th among all AL pitchers in strikeouts with a grand total of 93. In three June starts, Daisuke has pitched 20 innings, stiking out 25 batters and compiling a 2.25 ERA.

Matt Cain, the opposing pitcher for the Giants was almost as good as Daisuke, scattering 3 hits over 7 innings. Unluckily for Cain, one of the hits was a rocket off the bat of Manny Ramirez into the Monster seats. Cain's record for the season is now 2-7 altough he has pitched very well in his second full Major League Season. The 22 year old has 3.15 ERA and a 1.26 whip. He has struck out 63 batters in 91.1 innings pitched. He has been a victim of poor run support coming from an awful Giants lineup. According to Rotoworld the Giants are 2-12 in games that Cain has pitched and have scored an average of 2.33 runs in those starts.

Cain was the Giants #1 pick (25th Overall) in 2002. He throws a heavy fastball that sits in the mid-90's complemented by a solid changeup and sharp curve. Cain's one flaw, which is a problem with a lot of young pitchers is his control. If he can improve that facet of his game there is no doubt in my mind that he will be a legit #1 starter for many years.

RANDOM NOTES

- Did you see the brawl between the Padres and the Cubs at Wrigley today? Chris Young dusted Derek Lee in the fourth inning and they got into it, exchanging blows on the first base line. Suprise, Surprise, Carlos Zambrano had to be restrained from dishing out some blows.

- Speaking of Zambrano.....Since Koyie Hill started catching him after his altercation with Michael Barret 3 starts ago, he has gone 2-1 with a 1.14 ERA.

The Little Engine That Can: DUSTIN PEDROIA

The Boston Red Sox list Dustin Pedroia at 5'9" 180 pounds. This is very generous considering I have stood next to Dustin at a PawSox game and he is much closer to 5 '6"
160. If you ever saw the guy in street, you would never think that he was actually a professional baseball player. In Dustin's case looks are deceiving. The 23 year old second baseman can flat out rake.

Pedroia was drafted by the Red Sox as a shortstop in the second round of the 2004 MLB Draft out of Arizona State, where he hit .384 and was a 3-Time All Pac 10 First-Team selection. Other accolades, that Dustin accrued over his collegiate career include the 2003 National Defensive Player of the Year Award and the 2003 Pac 10 Player of the Year Award. Dustin Pedroia signed with the Red Sox shortly after the draft and was assigned to Low Class A Augusta of the Sally League and was promoted to High Class A Sarasota after just 12 games. In a small sample size of just 30 games at Sarasota Dustin hit .336 with an OPS of .940. Pedroia's performance lead the Red Sox to select him to play in the famous Arizona Fall League. In the pitching heavy AFL Dustin put up a solid line of .278/.370/.375 and performing well enough for the Red Sox to fast track him and place him in Double A Portland of the Eastern League at the start of 2005.

Because Red Sox Uber prospect Hanley Ramirez was penciled in at the Shortstop position in Portland, the Red Sox decided to move Pedroia to second base. Most scouts believed that Pedroia was better suited for the position anyway because of his size and mediocre arm strength. Dustin made a smooth transition to second base and feasted on Eastern League pitching batting .324/.409/.508 in 66 games before being promoted to Triple A Pawtucket. Pedroia cooled off at Pawtucket batting just .255/.356/.382. Some of Pedroia's cold streak in Pawtucket was attributed to an injury that he played through during his time there. That off season the young second baseman was awarded the Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year and was named the 77 best prospect in all of Major League Baseball by Baseball America.

In 2006 Dustin repeated Tiple A at Pawtucket and got a late season cup of coffee with the parent club hitting a horrendous .191/.258/.303 in just a small sample size. The Red Sox organization, impressed by Pedroia's minor league track record let veteran second baseman Mark Loretta walk and handed over the reigns to Dustin Pedroia.

After some early season struggles and a cries to make veteran Alex Cora the everyday second baseman Pedroia caught fire in May, when he was named Rookie of the Month, and hasn't looked back. He has raked to the line of .311/.390/.429 and has been a huge catalyst for a Red Sox lineup that has struggled to get men on base (Cough Coco Crisp, Julio Lugo Cough). With just a few more plate appearances, Pedroia would qualify for the second highest OPS of all AL second baseman. Dustin's scrappy play has drawn him comparisons to David Eckstein and Marcus Giles. Dustin joins Jonathan Papelbon and Cla Meredith on the short, but soon to grow list of players developed solely under the Epstein regime to achieve Major League success.

Random Notes

- Just when I thought Julian Tavarez could not get any quarkier, I learn that he uses ground up aspirin mixed into Red Bull to treat blisters on his pitching hand. What are the odds of him drinking this solution? This might explain why he dropkicked Joey Gathright (who admitted to being a black belt in Taekwondo) in an 06 Grapefruit League game and why he punched the dugout telephone breaking his hand as a Cardinal before the 04 World Series.

- Hats off to Oliver Perez, who defeated Roger Clemens tonight with 7 1/3 shutout innings. The young, hard throwing, southpaw has really turned it around this season holding all batters to a .206 BAA, while posting a 3.21 ERA and 1.11 WHIP.

JUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLIOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Terry Francona finally made the right move by batting Julio Lugo last in lineup last night. Julio's play has done nothing to warrant the 4yr/36 million dollar contract that he received over the winter. Lugo's batting average is just 15 points above the Mendoza Line,while he gets on base at a measly .274 clip. I don't even want to talk about his power numbers.What entitled Theo Epstein to give this man such a large contract? Lugo's numbers show that he is just and average hitting shortstop who plays below average defense. Julio is a serviceable player he just isn't with the money. Hopefully he starts hitting or else we have might have another Jose Offerman situation on our hands. It kills me that Orlando Cabrera,Hanley Ramirez,Edgar Renteria and Alex Gonzalez all could be playing shortstop for the Red Sox. All of these players produce more bang for the buck than Lugo.

Random Notes
- Elijah Dukes is at it again.This time he is being accused of impregnating a relative's 17 year old foster child.If this guy would only stay out of trouble and focus on baseball he could be a superstar. Dukes has gotten plenty of second chances before and hasn't gotten his act together. Chances are he will be another case of wasted talent.

- Hats off to Red Sox catching prospect George Kottaras who hit a walk off homerun to lift the Pawsox over the Ottawa Lynx (Phillies)on Monday night. Kottaras is a solid catching prospect who was acquired by the Red Sox from the Padres as the Player To Be Named Later in the David Wells deal last season. He has been having a tough year batting .207/.289/.319.