Arizona Fall League daily report
Published on November 19, 2008 under Arizona Fall League (AzFL) News Release
Player of the Day
Peoria Saguaros first baseman and former University of Arizona standout Bill Rhinehart (WAS) went 3-for-5 with 2 doubles, 1 run, and 2 RBI. Yesterday, Rhinehart started the first triple play this AFL season. Rhinehart is third in league in doubles (T-10, Rhyne Hughes).
Yesterday's Highlights
Mesa Solar Sox 10, Peoria Javelinas 4─ WP: Escalona (PHI) (1-0, 6.14), LP: Mason (TB) (0-1, 10.38)
With the game tied at 4-4 in the eighth inning, the Solar Sox scored six runs in the final two frames for the victory ... Mesa DH Lou Marson (PHI) went 2-for-4 with one run and four RBI ... Solar Sox C Steve Clevenger (CHC) added two hits and one RBI ... Sox 2B Jason Donald (PHI) hit his fifth home run of the season in the first inning ... Javelinas 3B Brent Brewer (MIL) went 1-for-3 with 1 run, 1 double, and 1 RBI.
Scottsdale Scorpions 1, Surprise Rafters 0 - WP: Sues (PIT) (1-0, 5.65), LP: Stiller (CLE) (0-1, 9.37)
Scottsdale pitching shut out the Rafters in Surprise ... Joe Dickerson (KC) went 3-for-4 with a walk... Beau Mills (CLE) went 2-for-3 ... John Whittleman (TEX) walked three times ... Steve Lerud (PIT) went 2-for-3 ... Kevin Fransden (SF) went 1-for-3 with a double and the only run scored.
Peoria Saguaros 14, Phoenix Desert Dogs 8 - WP: Marquez (CWS) (2-2, 5.63), LP: Lindsay (COL) (2-2, 5.48)
Peoria Saguaros scored 14 runs on the road to remain tied with the Solar Sox in the American Division ... Bill Rhinehart (WAS) turned a triple play with the help of SS Ian Desmond (WAS) ... Rhinehart went 3-for-5 with 2 doubles, 1 run scored, and 2 RBI ... Leonard Davis (WAS) went 2- for-5 with 1 double, 1 home run, 2 runs, and 2 RBI ... Cole Armstrong (CWS) hit his team-leading seventh home run off Hector Ambriz (ARI) ... Mike McKenry (COL) and Dustin Martin (MIN) both went 3-for-5 ... Eric Young, Jr. (COL) went 2-for-4 with his league-leading 20th stolen base of the season.
League Ruling
The winner of today's Solar Sox at Saguaros game in Peoria will advance to Saturday's championship game against the Phoenix Desert Dogs. Therefore, the "Robinson Rule" has been waived for this game only by Fall League Executive Director Steve Cobb. The game will be played to conclusion.
Around the Arizona Fall League
2008 AFL Tidbits
- Yesterday's announcement of second baseman Dustin Pedroia (Scottsdale Scorpions, 2004) as American League MVP means former Arizona Fall League players swept both MVP and Rookie-of-the-Year. AFL Hall of Famer Albert Pujols (Scottsdale Scorpions, 2000) won his second National League MVP award. Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria (Scottsdale Scorpions, 2007) won AL ROY and Chicago Cubs catcher Geovany Soto (Mesa Solar Sox, 2004) won NL ROY.
- Saturday's Arizona Fall League championship game at Scottsdale Stadium will be streamed live on MLB.com or MLBFallBall.com. Vinny Micucci (play-by-play) and Jonathan Mayo (color analyst) describe the action.
-The Fall League honored Chicago Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee with a distinguished alumni award on November 15 at Hohokam Park.
- Fifteen of the 18 players who won 2008 Silver Slugger Awards are former Arizona Fall Leaguers. The American League Silver Sluggers are C Joe Mauer (MIN), 1B Justin Morneau (MIN), 2B Dustin Pedroia (BOS), SS Derek Jeter (NYY), outfielders Josh Hamilton (TEX), Carlos Quentin (CWS), and Grady Sizemore (CLE), and DH Aubrey Huff (BAL). The National League Silver Sluggers are C Brian McCann (ATL), 1B Albert Pujols (STL), 3B David Wright (NYM), and outfielders Ryan Braun (MIL), Matt Holliday (COL), and Ryan Ludwick (STL). Braun, Hamilton, Huff, Ludwick, McCann, Pedrioa, Quentin, and Sizemore are first-time winners.
- Jimmy Rollins, shortstop for the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies, was inducted into the Arizona Fall League Hall of Fame on November 5. Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge was inducted on October 17.
- The AFL held its second annual Pat Tillman Foundation Benefit Night at Scottsdale Stadium on October 31. The event raised $15,000.
- Former major league umpire Rich Garcia received the 2008 Arizona Fall League Roland Hemond Award prior to the Rising Stars Game on October 24.
Player/Pitcher of the Week
Player Pitcher
Week One Saguaros ─ IF Shawn Bowman (NYM) Javelinas ─ RHP Phil Hughes (NYY)
Week Two Scorpions ─ IF Drew Sutton (HOU) Solar Sox ─ RHP Tommy Hanson (ATL)
Week Three Solar Sox ─ C Tyler Flowers (ATL) Saguaros ─ LHP Jason Vargas (NYM)
Week Four Solar Sox ─ IF Logan Morrison (FLA) Desert Dogs ─ RHP Jeff Manship (MIN) Desert Dogs ─ OF Eric Young, Jr. (COL)
Week Five Scorpions ─ OF Chris Pettit (LAA) Desert Dogs ─ RHP Brooks Brown (ARI)
Week Six Solar Sox ─ OF Casper Wells (DET) Scorpions ─ LHP Barret Browning (LAA)
American Division
Mesa Solar Sox (25-11) ─ Tyler Flowers (ATL) leads the league in home runs (12) and needs two home runs to tie the AFL home run record (14, Brandon Wood, 2005) ... 11/17: Van Pope (ATL) hit a grand slam and had season-best in hits (3) and RBI (4) ... Jeff Larish (DET) and Matt Young (ATL) lead team in runs scored (32) ... Casper Wells (DET) homered five times in four consecutive games (11/10-13) ... 11/15: Jason Donald (PHI) has an 11-game road consecutive hit streak ...11/12: Flowers hit three home runs with seven RBI ... Casey Fien (DET) and Tim Wood (FLA) have not yielded a walk ... 11/6: Tommy Hanson (ATL) strikes out game-high 11 batters ... leads league in strikeouts (49) ... Hanson has surrendered only 2 runs, 10 hits, and 7 walks in 28.2 innings ... most strikeouts in an AFL season since Bobby Jenks (54, 2002) ... Logan Morrison (FLA) leads the team in hits (40) ... Larish boasts longest current consecutive on-base streak (22) ... Scott Cousins (FLA) leads league in RBI (30) ... 11/1: Team-high five home runs by Flowers (3) and Wells (2) ... Morrison went 5-for-5 during week three ... Donald leads the league with three four-hit games ... Flowers hit four home runs in week three ... 12 players have at least 10 hits in road games: Quintin Berry (PHI), Cousins, Donald, Flowers, Morrison, Larish, Will Rhymes (DET), Jeremy Slayden (PHI), Nate Spears (CHC), Wells, Young, and Pope ... John Raynor (FLA) and Morrison hit for the cycle (week one and week four, respectively).
Peoria Saguaros (25-11) ─ 11/18: Bill Rhinehart (WAS) turns triple play ... hitting .425 in November ...team record of 17-5 when scoring first ... Mike Baxter (SD) leads league in on-base percentage (.510) ... Tyler Greene (STL) has a 21-game consecutive on-base streak ... Ian Desmond (WAS) league lead in triples (4) ... following trade between the Yankees and White Sox, RHP Jeff Marquez (CWS) moved from the Javelinas to the Saguaros pitching staff (11/14) and won his first start yesterday ... 15 Saguaros have hit home runs, led by Cole Armstrong (CWS) with seven ... Kyle Blanks (SD) leads the team in walks (20) and has 19-game on-base streak ... 11/6-7: Saguaros scored in nine consecutive innings ... 11/7: Saguaros pitching does not yield a walk ... 11/6: Scored team-high in runs (20), hits (T/17), and RBI (18) ... 11/6: Gordon Beckham (CWS) went 5- for-5 and tied for AFL season-high seven RBI while accounting for 12 runs ... 11/4: Game-high seven doubles by Shane Robinson (STL) (3), Rhinehart (2), Greene, and Daniel Murphy (NYM) ... Baxter went 5-for-5 and Jordan Danks (CWS) went 4-for-4 during week four ... 10/29: Team- high five home runs by Steven Hill (STL), Baxter, Armstrong, Danks, and Blanks ... Saguaros have at least one two-out RBI in every game except three (10/18, 11/5, 11/11) ... Beckham leads team with five-hit game and six players have four-hit games ─ Baxter, Murphy, Armstrong, Sean Kazmar (SD), Danks, and Brett Wallace (STL) ... Bobby Parnell (NYM) has not allowed a run or walk at home, striking out seven in 5.0 innings.
Scottsdale Scorpions (13-21) ─ Mark Trumbo (LAA) is hitting .444 against left-handed pitching ... Chris Pettit (LAA) leads league in hits (47) and doubles (13) ... Drew Sutton (HOU) second in league in runs scored (32) and walks (24) ... Alex Hinshaw (SF) third in league in strikeouts (30) ... Scorpions lead the league with 16 triples ... 11/10: Kevin Pucetas (SF) was the AFL's first four-game winner ... Pettit has active 16-game road on- base streak ... 11/13: Twelve consecutive games with 10 hits or more ...11/8: Team-high in hits (20) ...11/7: Kevin Frandsen (SF) had an 18-game on-base streak ... 11/5: Team stole a game-high seven bases ─ Brian Bogusevic (HOU) (2), Pettit (3), and Frandsen (2) ...10/31: Scorpions scored team-high in runs (16), triples (2), home runs (2), and RBI (13) ... Shelby Ford (PIT) homered in consecutive games (10/28-10/29) ... Chris Johnson (HOU) homered in consecutive games (10/30-10/31) ... Sutton had an extra-base hit in six consecutive games ... Emmanuel Burriss (SF) (10/16, 11/11), Frandsen (10/20), Bogusevic (11/4), and Mark Trumbo (LAA) (11/8) all have four-hit games..
National Division
Peoria Javelinas (14-22) ─ IF Rhyne Hughes (TB) ranks second in the AFL in triples (3) and is tied for third in hits (41) along with a top-10 batting average (.394) ... Hughes has the longest active hitting streak at 16 games ... RHP Kevin Whelan (NYY) has a top-10 ERA (2.35) ... RHP Phil Hughes (NYY) is tied for fifth in strikeouts (28) ... RHP Carlos Fisher (CIN) ranks second in the AFL in saves (3) ... C Lou Palmisano (MIL) is batting .400 and has 16 RBI with runners on base ... 10/07: OF Austin Jackson (NYY) drove in a team-high four RBI ... 10/18: IF Kevin Russo (NYY) went 5-for-5 (all singles) ... 10/14-11/13: Russo hit .387 with 29 hits during AFL's second longest hitting streak of the season (20 games) ... 10/16: All 18 players in starting lineup between Mesa and Peoria collected at least one hit.
Phoenix Desert Dogs (18-16) ─ Phoenix is the first AFL team to clinch a division championship and will play in the AFL championship game on Saturday, November 22 at Scottsdale Stadium ... the Desert Dogs are in pursuit of their fifth consecutive AFL championship ... OF Eric Young, Jr. (COL) leads the league in batting average (.427) and stolen bases (20) and is tied for second in runs scored (33) ... Young ranks second in on-base percentage (.505) and fourth in hits (41) ... C Michael McKenry (COL) ranks second in the AFL in home runs (9) and slugging percentage (.818) ... OF Sean Doolittle (OAK) ranks third in home runs (8) and is tied for fourth in RBI (26) ... IF Danny Valencia (MIN) leads all third basemen with 44 assists ... IF Steve Tolleson (MIN) has a top-10 batting average (.386) ... RHP Hector Ambriz (ARI) has a top-10 ERA (2.76) ... RHP Jeff Manship (MIN) is fourth in strikeouts (29) ... Desert Dogs lead AFL in saves (9) ... RHP Andrew Carignan (OAK) anchors relief core with a league- high six saves ... 11/13: 2B Chris Nelson (COL) hits two home runs and drives in five RBI ... 10/11-11/6: Young 21-game hitting streak ... 10/28: Young inside-the-park grand slam against Surprise ... 11/1: Young hits second grand slam home run of the week ... 10/27: McKenry hits three home runs and drives in seven RBI ... 10/21: Every player in the Desert Dogs starting lineup posts at least one hit.
Surprise Rafters (11-25) ─ RHP Willie Eyre (TEX) is second in the AFL with 33 whiffs ... 11 pitchers have reached double digits in strikeouts ... IF Wes Hodges (CLE) is tied for fourth in RBI (26) ... OF Joe Dickerson (KC) has 2 runs, 1 home run, and 4 RBI with a .529 batting average over the past five games ... OF Andrew Lambo (LAD) is batting .406 with 10 RBI with runners on base ... RHP Travis Schlichting (LAD) has a 1.59 ERA at home ... OF Julio Borbon (TEX) is batting .350 and has an on-base percentage of .395 when leading off an inning ... Borbon ranks second in triples (3) ... 10/28: Hodges drives in a team-high four RBI ... 10/18-11/06: OF Nolan Reimold (BAL) collects 16 runs and 20 hits during team-high 11-game hitting streak ... 11/14: RF Dickerson is a triple short of the cycle and drives in three RBI ... 11/08: Hoffmann ties team high in runs (3) ... 10/14: IF Beau Mills (CLE) scores team-high three runs ... three players have collected four hits in a game ─ Blake Davis (BAL) 11/08, C Matt Wieters (BAL) 10/09, and IF Ivan De Jesus, Jr. (LAD) 10/13.
Arizona Fall League Stories from November 19, 2008
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