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Got this from the Great Falls Tribune today:

 

Chris Kelly had a pretty good summer for himself all in one inning last Aug. 19.

 

Right. One little old inning.

 

In fact, when Kelly had a bases-loaded double and a bases-loaded triple in the first inning of a game against the Casper Rockies last year in August, he accounted for six of his 40 RBIs on the season. He finished 5-for-6 with eight ribbies in that amazing August evening as the White Sox slugged past Casper 17-11.

 

Make no mistake, it's a highlight Kelly won't ever forget. But the perfectionist from Pepperdine, a sixth-round pick in the 2003 draft, also recalls this:

 

"I was like 3-for-24 going into that game," he said. "So I guess it was my turn to have a good day."

 

This year, Kelly hopes to spread out his production -- and keep the hits coming throughout the Pioneer League's 76-game schedule.

 

"Chris is solid, a real professional hitter," said Great Falls manager John Orton after putting his team through a long workout Tuesday afternoon at Legion Park. The White Sox, with Kelly at first base, are preparing for their Pioneer opener Friday night against the visiting Missoula Osprey.

 

"He's the guy over there at first, and obviously we're looking for big things from him. He's really got a good idea at the plate."

 

The Sox had other ideas last year, though, about where Kelly fit into the organization. He was tried first in the outfield as the organization, mindful of a need to develop power-hitting flychasers, tried to put a round peg into a square hole.

 

This year, Kelly is back where he feels he belongs.

 

"It's where I'm most comfortable," he said.

 

Earlier this spring Kelly was at Single-A Kannapolis, where he mostly warmed the pine. When he received word that another summer in the Pioneer League was in store, it was a bittersweet moment.

 

"Nobody wants to go down," he said. "But then I sat back and realized 'Hey, I'm going to Great Falls and it's a good place with good people. The atmosphere of the city and the ballpark is real nice to be around.' So I hope to take advantage of the situation."

 

Kelly figures to anchor the Great Falls infield. With experienced players like Scott Martin, Jhonny Rivera and Tom Collaro in the outfield, perhaps this club will be an offensive-minded team.

 

"I think we're going to play good baseball," Kelly said. "We're playing for them, but we're playing for ourselves too. ... I think we have a respectable team now and I think it will be a real respectable team at the end of the year."

 

Meanwhile Tuesday, several players turned in better than respectable efforts during simulated-game situations. Collaro showed some prodigious power, and pitchers Demetrius Banks, Kyle Kane, Jeff Little and Sean Thompson each turned in impressive outings.

 

Banks, a slender 6-foot southpaw, displayed an especially live arm.

 

"I just try to throw it, not blow it by people," Banks said. "I just try to hit my spots."

 

Banks, 20, hasn't posted great numbers since the White Sox tabbed him in the 13th round of the 2002 draft out of Chattahoochee Valley (Ala.) Community College.

 

"It's taken me some time to get used to everything and get my stuff together," Banks said. "I'm trying to learn how to pitch the right way."

 

So far so good, said Orton.

 

"Banks has a good arm, and he's deceptive too," Orton said. "He's one of the guys who really improves just about every day, and that's what you're looking for -- guys that start to figure it out and all of a sudden take off. He might be at that point. We'll see."

 

Orton said he likes the looks of his club so far.

 

"We've got some athletes, and they're smart kids," he said. "And that will take you a long way."

 

NOTES: Several recently drafted players will soon join their Great Falls teammates. Catchers Donny Lucy of Stanford (2nd round) and Josh Hansen of the University of San Diego (24th), and outfielder Daron Roberts of Cal State San Bernardino (12th) and right-handed pitcher Adam Russell of Ohio University (6th) were scheduled to arrive in Great Falls Tuesday night. Right-hander John Egbert (13th) of Rutgers is to arrive today, while right-hander Garry Bakker of the University of North Carolina (11th) and left-hander Ray Liotta of Gulf Coast (Fla.) CC (2nd) will get to town on Friday. ... Kevin Pillifant, a former college baseball player at NAIA Bluefield (Va.), is the trainer for the Great Falls club. ... The White Sox are scheduled to practice at Legion Park this afternoon at 1, a workout that will probably last at least three hours. ... Tommy Thompson, Chicago's veteran minor-league catching coordinator, is a former hard-hitting minor-league catcher who at age 45 is plenty fit. Thompson was giving the business to a local reporter Tuesday for detailing in the paper the exploits of Great Falls hitting coach Mark Haley, a former Nebraska Cornhusker star. Thompson, you see, is a former Oklahoma Sooner. And the Sooners and Huskers haven't always gotten along so well.

 

Based on this, it appears Russell is all locked up. Not sure how reliable this newspaper is, but this article has some interesting information.

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We're doing a great job signing guys this year.  If those two are signed we're at atleast 25 which is already more than 2003 and 2002 drafts for us.

Some years you need to sign more than others, our teams in minors are fairly weak this year, we traded off depth and have had a load of arm injuries to pitchers, so we need to stock up in the draft. Last year was the opposite, we seemed quite comfortable with how we were stocked up and took some stretches taking kids assumed undraftable (and many were) and we ended up not signing as many. It runs in cycles.

 

We have quite a few guys in Birm and Win-Salem who are either 1 year players (guys we brought in to make Birm respectable, but not real prospects) or releasable (Win-Salem pitching staff has at least 6 pitchers we could cut and not look back)

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Some years you need to sign more than others, our teams in minors are fairly weak this year, we traded off depth and have had a load of arm injuries to pitchers, so we need to stock up in the draft. Last year was the opposite, we seemed quite comfortable with how we were stocked up and took some stretches taking kids assumed undraftable (and many were) and we ended up not signing as many. It runs in cycles.

 

We have quite a few guys in Birm and Win-Salem who are either 1 year players (guys we brought in to make Birm respectable, but not real prospects) or releasable (Win-Salem pitching staff has at least 6 pitchers we could cut and not look back)

That makes alot of sense actually. The timing certainly was good for us as far as restocking -- since we had so many early round picks this year.

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That makes alot of sense actually.  The timing certainly was good for us as far as restocking -- since we had so many early round picks this year.

Should have 2 more extras next year for Maggs too, either a 1st and a sandwich pick, or two sandwich picks.

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I can't wait until Great Falls starts playing! I love to see how our draftees (especially the ones we picked in lower rounds, who could be sleepers) perform in their first taste of pro baseball. Anyone know who the opening day starting pitcher for G.F. is gonna be?

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I can't wait until Great Falls starts playing!  I love to see how our draftees (especially the ones we picked in lower rounds, who could be sleepers) perform in their first taste of pro baseball.  Anyone know who the opening day starting pitcher for G.F. is gonna be?

Looks like tommorrow.

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I have been keeping track of players who have officially been assigned to Great Falls so far. Here's my list:

 

Catchers: Donny Lucy, Matt Deuchler and Josh Hansen

 

Infielders: Chris Kelley, Layne Berry, Derek McNeil, Caleb Cooper and Mario Suarez

 

Outfielders: Thomas Collaro, Jhonny Rivera, Scott Martin, Daron Roberts and Ferny Alvarez

 

Rotation: Boone Logan and Sony Suarez for sure, and then probably Matt Nachreiner, Ray Liotta and Adam Russell (depending on what happens with Wissler and Grant Hansen)

 

Bullpen: Kyle Kane (rehab), Jeff Little, Sean Thompson, Gary Bakker, Eric Everly, JD Johnson, Rylan Reed, Demetrius Banks, Matt Zeleski, Travis Doyle, Gerron McGary and John Egbert.

 

I am sure some of these guys will get sent down to Bristol at some point, but all these players have been mentioned by the Great Falls Tribune as being on the team.

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Kane.. :puke

 

BTW, I'm hoping for Russell, Liotta, and Nachreiner to surprise some people. :headbang

Nachreiner has some good stuff, and could really suprise people this year. I really like this kid, and look for him to have a really good year! :headbang I just hope his knees can stay healthy.

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I can't wait to see how Boone Logan does tomorrow night. He's only 19 (no player on G.F. is younger, except for Nachreiner and McCarthy) and is the #1 starter for Great Falls. I'd say that's pretty good. :headbang Here to hoping he has a great night! :cheers

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Kane.. :puke

 

BTW, I'm hoping for Russell, Liotta, and Nachreiner to surprise some people. :headbang

Let's see how my sleeper prospect for 2004 does :headbang , he hav really bad numbers last year though. Hopefully he can stay healthy and pitch some real good innings though. :D

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