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 Arizona Fall League

Arizona Fall League daily report

November 20, 2008 - Arizona Fall League (AzFL) News Release


Player of the Day

Mesa Solar Sox outfielder Jeremy Slayden (PHI) hit a two-out pinch-hit grand slam in the eighth inning to put Mesa ahead of the Peoria Saguaros 7-4. Mesa will face the Phoenix Desert Dogs in the championship game at 12:35 PM at Scottsdale Stadium.

Yesterday's Highlights

Mesa Solar Sox 7, Peoria Saguaros 4─ WP: Medlen (ATL) (1-1, 6.14), LP: Fiske (STL) (0-2, 10.38)

Jeremy Slayden's (PHI) pinch-hit grand slam in the eighth inning propelled Mesa to a divisional title and victory in Peoria ... Solar Sox 3B Jeff Larish (DET) went 3-for-4 with 2 runs, 1 home run, and 1 RBI ... Mesa 1B Logan Morrison (FLA) scored two runs ... Saguaros 3B Brett Wallace (STL) went 2-for-4 with 1 run, 1 home run, and 1 RBI ... Sags' 1B Bill Rhinehart (WAS) add two RBI from two hits.

Surprise Rafters 11, Phoenix Desert Dogs 6 - WP: Orenduff (LAD) (3-3, 5.79), LP: Ginley (1-2, 8.31)

Brian McFall (KC) went 2-for-5 with 2 home runs, 2 runs, and 4 RBI ... Russ Mitchell (LAD) homered off Kyle Ginley (TOR) in the second inning ... John Whittleman (TEX) went 2-for-5 with a home run and one RBI ... Surprise defense turned four double plays ... Dustin Martin (MIN) and Eric Young, Jr. (COL) homered for the Desert Dogs ... Ryan Patterson (TOR) went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored.

Peoria Javelinas 5, Scottsdale Scorpions 0 - WP: Hughes, P. (NYY) (2-0, 3.00), LP: Hughes (PIT) (0-3, 10.62)

Philip Hughes (NYY) threw 5.0 innings, allowing only two hits and striking out a season-best 10 batters ... Javelinas pitching did not allow a walk ... Kevin Russo (NYY) hit a two-run home run in the first inning off Jared Hughes (PIT) ... Drew Stubbs (CIN) went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored ... Sean Henry (CIN) and Chris Valaika (CIN) went 2-for-5 with a run scored ... Kevin Frandsen (SF) went 3-for-4.

Around the Arizona Fall League

2008 AFL Tidbits

- The announcement that second baseman Dustin Pedroia (Scottsdale Scorpions, 2004) won American League MVP means former Arizona Fall League players swept MLB's MVP and rookie-of-the-year awards. 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 by MLB.TV via 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 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.

American Division

Mesa Solar Sox (26-11) ─ Solar Sox hit .328 as a team ... team fielding percentage of .980 and fewest errors (28) ... 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) ... Flowers is slugging .973 ... Logan Morrison (FLA) did not walk in first 67 at bats ... Morrison has walked eight times in last 32 at bats ... 11/19: Jeremy Slayden (PHI) pinch-hit grand slam ... 11/17: Van Pope (ATL) hit a grand slam and had season best in hits (3) and RBI (4) ... Jeff Larish (DET) leads team in runs scored (34) and hits (41) ... boasts longest current consecutive on-base streak (23) ... Casper Wells (DET) homered five times in four consecutive games (11/10-13) ... 11/15: Jason Donald (PHI) has 12-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) ... 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 team 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), Slayden, Nate Spears (CHC), Wells, Matt Young (ATL) and Pope ... John Raynor (FLA) and Morrison hit for the cycle (week one and week four, respectively).

Peoria Saguaros (25-12) ─ 11/18: Bill Rhinehart (WAS) begins triple play ... hitting .432 in November ... team record of 17-6 when scoring first ... Mike Baxter (SD) leads league in on-base percentage (.500) ... Tyler Greene (STL) has 22-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 (11/14) ... 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 197 hits on the road and at home... 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 (13-22) ─ Mark Trumbo (LAA) is hitting .444 against left-handed pitching ... Chris Pettit (LAA) leads league in hits (48) and doubles (13) ... Drew Sutton (HOU) ranks third in league in runs scored (32) and leads league in walks (24) ... Alex Hinshaw (SF) is fourth 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 Trumbo (11/8) all have four-hit games.

National Division

Peoria Javelinas (15-22) ─ IF Rhyne Hughes (TB) ranks second in the AFL in triples (3), third in doubles (11), and is fourth in hits (41) along with a top-10 batting average (.394) ... Hughes has a top-five slugging percentage (.692), ranks second in extra-base hits (19), and owns the longest active hitting streak at 17 games ... IF Sean Henry (CIN) ranks third in stolen bases (8) ... RHP Kevin Whelan (NYY) has a top-10 ERA (2.35) ... RHP Phil Hughes (NYY) ranks second in strikeouts (38) and has top-10 ERA (3.00) ... RHP Carlos Fisher (CIN) ranks second in the AFL in saves (3) ... OF Austin Jackson (NYY) is batting .318 with 10 RB with runners in scoring position and two outs ... C Lou Palmisano (MIL) is batting .400 and has 16 RBI with runners on base ... 10/07: Jackson 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 (18-17) ─ Phoenix was 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 (.429) and stolen bases (20) and is tied for second in runs scored (36) ... Young owns the lead in on-base percentage (.504) and tied for fourth in hits (42) ... C Michael McKenry (COL) ranks second in the AFL in home runs (9) and slugging percentage (.788) ... OF Sean Doolittle (OAK) ranks third in home runs (8) and is tied for fifth in RBI (26) ... IF Danny Valencia (MIN) leads all third basemen with 44 assists ... IF Steve Tolleson (MIN) has a top-10 batting average (.385) ... RHP Hector Ambriz (ARI) has a top-10 ERA (2.76) ... RHP Jeff Manship (MIN) is sixth 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 (12-25) ─ RHP Willie Eyre (TEX) is third in the AFL with 33 whiffs ... 11 pitchers have reached double digits in strikeouts ... IF Wes Hodges (CLE) is tied for fifth in RBI (26) ... OF Joe Dickerson (KC) has 2 runs, 1 home run, and 4 RBI with a .615 batting average over the past five games ... OF Andrew Lambo (LAD) is batting .400 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) ... IF Brandon Snyder (BAL) is batting .357 at home ... 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: 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.


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Arizona Fall League Stories from November 20, 2008


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