AAP: Donny Lucy

[NorthSideSox72]

July update for D Lucy…

 

Donny had an OK July. His average was down a bit at .250 (was .296 in June), but his OBP was actually higher at .357 (was .333 in June). As seems to be the trend, Lucy picks one particular area of hitting to work on in a given month – this month apparently it was taking walks, which he did 10 times in 82 PA’s (he had 20 in 253 the previous months combined). He also has started stealing more bases – he was 6 for 6 in July, and is now 13 for 14 (92.8%) on the season. He ended the month on a high note – he is hitting .343 in his last 10 games.

 

Here are his July splits:

AVG: .250

G: 22

AB: 72

R: 11

H: 18

2B: 3

3B: 0

HR: 2

RBI: 10

BB/K: 10/19

SB/ATT: 6/6

OBP: .357

SLG: .375

OPS: .732

 

And his season stats so far (includes the game on 8/1):

 

AVG: .269

G: 87

AB: 290

R: 42

H: 78

2B: 17

3B: 0

HR: 6

RBI: 27

TB: 113

BB/K: 30/59

SB/ATT: 13/14

OBP: .343

SLG: .390

OPS: .732

 

After Gustavo Molina was taken off waivers by Baltimore, leaving a catching slot open in Charlotte, it seemed likely that Lucy was headed for a promotion to AAA. Instead, Adam Ricks from Winston-Salem jumped AA and took that slot. It is unclear why this occurred, given Ricks’ lackluster performance and recent move to catching, but its possible that Ricks is to be a backup in Charlotte behind Wiki. This would allow Lucy to continue to start in B-Ham. Seems to me that Gonzalez doesn’t have much a future here though, so I’d rather see Lucy starting in Charlotte, but we’ll see how things go.

 

ETA: Forgot to update his SB/CS numbers against. in July, he threw out 36% of runners attempting to steal. Since 4/21, he has thrown out 45% of runners attempting to steal. On the season total, he has throw out 39% of attempted base stealers.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Donny Lucy has been called up to AAA Charlotte. He played his first game with the Knights on 8/4, and went 2-for-4.

 

[Chisoxfn]

July update for D Lucy…

 

Donny had an OK July. His average was down a bit at .250 (was .296 in June), but his OBP was actually higher at .357 (was .333 in June). As seems to be the trend, Lucy picks one particular area of hitting to work on in a given month – this month apparently it was taking walks, which he did 10 times in 82 PA’s (he had 20 in 253 the previous months combined). He also has started stealing more bases – he was 6 for 6 in July, and is now 13 for 14 (92.8%) on the season. He ended the month on a high note – he is hitting .343 in his last 10 games.

 

Here are his July splits:

AVG: .250

G: 22

AB: 72

R: 11

H: 18

2B: 3

3B: 0

HR: 2

RBI: 10

BB/K: 10/19

SB/ATT: 6/6

OBP: .357

SLG: .375

OPS: .732

 

And his season stats so far (includes the game on 8/1):

 

AVG: .269

G: 87

AB: 290

R: 42

H: 78

2B: 17

3B: 0

HR: 6

RBI: 27

TB: 113

BB/K: 30/59

SB/ATT: 13/14

OBP: .343

SLG: .390

OPS: .732

 

After Gustavo Molina was taken off waivers by Baltimore, leaving a catching slot open in Charlotte, it seemed likely that Lucy was headed for a promotion to AAA. Instead, Adam Ricks from Winston-Salem jumped AA and took that slot. It is unclear why this occurred, given Ricks’ lackluster performance and recent move to catching, but its possible that Ricks is to be a backup in Charlotte behind Wiki. This would allow Lucy to continue to start in B-Ham. Seems to me that Gonzalez doesn’t have much a future here though, so I’d rather see Lucy starting in Charlotte, but we’ll see how things go.

 

ETA: Forgot to update his SB/CS numbers against. in July, he threw out 36% of runners attempting to steal. Since 4/21, he has thrown out 45% of runners attempting to steal. On the season total, he has throw out 39% of attempted base stealers.

Lucy will stay at AA until Gio/Egbert are promoted to AAA. He handles the two of those guys so very well and has such a good rep that the org isn't going to mess with that chemistry. My guess is you may see Egbert at the major league level in the next month but I don't know if we will see Gio up there or not. However, if those guys do get promoted to AAA, you can bet your ass Lucy will be going as well.

 

Edit: After saying all that, I realize he was promoted so shows what I know, LOL.

[NorthSideSox72]

Lucy was added to the 40-man roster, and will be joining the big club for September. He is due to catch Gavin Floyd on Wednesday, 9/6 for his first major league start. Congrats to Donny!

 

Also, he is among 6 Sox products being sent to the Arizona Fall League, starting in October.

 

I'll update Lucy's end of year minor league numbers in a few days.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Lucy gets a section in the Trib's notes page for the day. Working extra time on defense - nice to see. He definitely seems to be working hard.

 

So far with the big club, he hasn't gotten much opportunity to play. 2 starts and a couple late inning appearances, 10 at bats, 2 singles. 3 attempted base stealers against, all 3 succeeded.

 

Subjectively, watching him play, he's isn't ready yet. AFL ball this fall, plus some time in 2008 in AAA, will do him some good. He does show good athleticism, seems to know how to call a game, etc. But he looks pretty lost at the plate - not a huge surprise for a guy in his first 10 at bats after going almost directly from AA.

 

Given how poorly Hall did this season, the Sox could probably do worse than having Lucy be the backup catcher in 2008. But Lucy would undoubtedly struggle at first, and not get enough playing time to improve quickly. So let's hope Hall can get back to form in 2008, and allow Donny to finish his minor league development.

 

[Chisoxfn]

He seems to have a really good attitude and I know the pitchers down in the minors love throwing to him.

[BamaJason]

Donny is an awesome athlete with a tremendous work ethic. I think he will continue to develop through the fall and then in spring training and definitely earn his spot on the roster for next season.

[NorthSideSox72]

Lucy will be playing in the Arizona Fall League, with the Phoenix Desert Dogs.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Lucy in the AFL...

 

Donny Lucy ©

Lucy started ice cold at the plate, going 1 for his first 17 at bats. He turned it up a litle late in the season, going 7 for his last 23 (.304), but even that was only good enough to get his average to .200. He also made a number of errors defensively. It appeared to not be a good AFL season for Donny, who will need to show he can hit at AAA Charlotte in 2008 if he wants a chance to play at the major league level.

 AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS 
.200 13 40 2 8 1 0 0  3   9  2  16  1 0 .238 .225 .463

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Lucy is in Tucson for his 2nd Spring Training with the team. He's also now on the 40-man roster (added late 2007 with the September call-ups). So far (through 3/7), he is 4-for-10 with 2 doubles and a run scored. Defensively, basestealers are 2-for-2 against him, though he does have a pick-off.

 

If Toby Hall turns out to not be ready for the season due to his shoulder, the team may release him or put him on the DL. That opens the door for Donny, or possible Cole Armstrong, to step in. Lucy has the upper hand in that race given his higher level experience, time with the team last season, and the fact that he hits right-handed. But Armstrong has been hitting quite well so far this spring, so its certainly not a given that Lucy would get that slot if Hall can't go. Should be interesting to watch.

 

[knightni]

Well, Lucy was sent to minor league camp.

[NorthSideSox72]

Lucy is starting the year at AAA Charlotte. Paul Phillips is also in Charlotte, as is Ryan Smith, though Smith is on the DL. I'd imagine that Lucy will get the majority of starts.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

April Monthly Update...

 

Donny started off hot at the plate this year, then slumped, then came roaring back again in the last game of the month. He went 3-3 with a HR, a double and a bunt single in yesterday's action. Of note, Lucy ionly played 12 of the Knights' 24 games, because of the presence of Paul Phillips on the roster (he is not a prospect per se, he's an experienced player, and he's hitting .213). Here are Lucy's stats for April on offense:

 

In 41 at bats...

AVG: .293

OBP: .341

SLG: .488

OPS: .829

2B: 2

3B: 0

HR: 2

BB/K: 2/12

R: 6

RBI: 6

SB/CS: 1/0

 

That BB/K number is a little disconcerting, particularly the strikeouts. That's a much higher ratio than we normally see from Donny. Hopefully that will reverse itself in May. But his overall offensive numbers on his first month are solid - in fact above expectations. If he can hit at around that level in AAA as the season goes on, he's going to make a very good case for being the Sox' backup catcher in 2009 (and perhaps even late 2008).

 

Defensively, Lucy did not make any errors. As for basestealers, there were 9 attempts against him, and he threw out 4 of those. One of the SB's was off Haeger as well, so, give some leniency on that one. For all but Haeger's outings, Lucy is throwing out 50% of attempting basestealers (44% if you include Haeger). He also picked 1 runner off.

[NorthSideSox72]

Donny was carted off the field during the 5/1 game with what has been tenatively diagnosed as a disclocated knee cap. Here is a thread discussing it. I'll update this AAP thread with any further details.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Per a source from the Knights, Donny had season-ending knee surgery. No word on if he may be healthy in time for fall or winter ball, but that seems unlikely.

 

Hopefully Donny can recover fully and come back in 2009. He's got a tough road ahead of him now.

 

[JPN366]

Per a source from the Knights, Donny had season-ending knee surgery. No word on if he may be healthy in time for fall or winter ball, but that seems unlikely.

 

Hopefully Donny can recover fully and come back in 2009. He's got a tough road ahead of him now.

 

 

Who's your source? Because I have a hard time getting info from the Knights front office or anyone associated with them.

[NorthSideSox72]

Donny got an invite to Spring Training. He's theoretically in the running for the backup C spot, but the concensus seems to be that he's got an uphill battle. He signed a minor league contract during the offseason, so he's headed to Charlotte if he doesn't surprise and make the team.

 

His health is the key. If anyone has any word from camp as to his status, health, etc., I'd love to hear about it.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Lucy showed up in ST looking healthy, which was a pretty big accomplishment in and of itself. He made a legitimate run at the backup C job, outlasting Armstrong and Stewart, but Miller was just too good at the plate.

 

Lucy will be in Charlotte, with Armstrong. Hard to know how that split will work. But it seems likely that if Lucy can hit a bit in Charlotte and show he's back to 100% physically, that he'd be the first choice to take over for Miller if he does poorly (which history indicates he likely will).

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Lucy's first month in Charlotte was mediocre offensively. Considering he hadn't seen regular season pitching in almost a year, its probably about what was to be expected. He did do well defensively, and with Miller fully built into the major league squad, Donny should have some time to get adjusted (barring an injury to AJ or Miller).

 

Here are some offensive highlights/lowlights from April:

 

11 games, 37 AB

.217 AVG

.310 OBP

.270 SLG (2 XBH, both doubles)

5 BB / 9 K

1 SB (0 CS)

 

Looking at his splits, he does hit a lot better at home (.809 OPS), and also with runners on base (.300 AVG). But he struggles on the road and, oddly, against LHP (.133 AVG).

 

Defensively, he made no errors, and threw out 5 of 11 attempted base stealers (45%). It appears his injury isn't effecting hsi defensive abilities at least - we'll see if the hitting can come around too.

[NorthSideSox72]

Donny had a stronger May at the plate than his April, though he's still not exactly hitting the ball well yet. He's splitting time pretty much evenly with Cole Armstrong (who is doing even worse). Here are his May numbers...

 

15 G, 50 AB

.260 AVG

.278 OBP

.340 SLG

13 H

4 2B

0 3B

0 HR

4 RBI

2 BB / 11 K

1/2 SB/ATT

 

Mediocre at best, though an improvement over April. One thing that concerns me is that high K rate and few walks. Donny had better plate discipline through the AA level, but has lost a bit of that in AAA. Hopefully that is just an adjustment underway.

 

Defensively, Donny continues to throw out base stealers at a good clip – threw out 7 of 18 in May (39%). Add that to April, and on the season he has thrown out 12 of 29 (41%). He did also have 2 PB (first two of the season), and his first error.

 

As related news, the Sox a couple days ago designated Corky Miller for assignment after acquiring a new backup C from the Mets (Ramon Castro) plus cash in exchange for Lance Broadway. If Donny had been doing better thus far, I'd say there is a good chance he might have been called up to replace Corky. Now instead, of Corky accepts the assignment, there will be three catcher fighting for time in Charlotte, which could further jeopardize Lucy's already decreasing prospects of becoming a major leaguer.

[NorthSideSox72]

June was not good to Donny. Corky Miller's demotion took playing time away for a bit, but he's gone now. More importantly, Lucy has just been plain bad at the plate, and Cole Armstrong has now taken the majority of playing time as Cole is actually improving. Here are Donny's numbers for June...

 

.109/.125/.196/.321

 

That is... bad. His overall season numbers now look pretty awful too, as his average is below .200: .195/.236/.271/.507. Also, alarmingly, in his last 10 games, he has 12 strikeouts against just 1 walk. One thing Donny had done well in previous years, which gave some encouragement about future growth, was keep his K/BB ratio pretty close to 1. This season so far, he has 33 K against 8 BB.

 

Defensively, Lucy threw out 6 of 12 attempted base stealers (50%), keeping up his nice rate there (18 of 41 for 44% on the season), but he also made 2 errors and had a pass ball. So even defensively, he didn’t have a great month.

 

At this point, the train may have left the station for Donny. Not sure if that knee injury is causing this suddenly bad hitting, but whatever it is, Armstrong may have leap-frogged him on the charts. Plus, Armstrong hits LH, and with Flowers the catcher of the future (he hits RH), that further decreases Donny's chances. Donny needs to go on a serious tear the remainder of this year, and hope he manages to either get into another organization in the offseason, or maybe get an outside shot in ST next year of backing up AJ, if Flowers isn't ready yet at that point. Its a long shot now.

 

[NCsoxfan]

Lucy really struggled at the plate tonight against Durham on the few at bats I saw. Hopefully he turns it around!

[NorthSideSox72]

D Lucy has been demoted to AA Birmingham, to make room in Charlotte for Tyler Flowers. Adam Ricks was sent back to W-S. Lucy will now be starting in B-Ham, with Jared Price backing him up.

 

Lucy's final line at Charlotte: .216/.259/.307/.566

 

That line had actually improved, with Donny going 7-for-20 in his last 6 games with a 2B, a HR and a couple walks. But still not looking good for a guy about to turn 27, demoted to AA.

 

Its hard to tell what this means for Lucy vis a vis Armstrong. It gets Lucy more playing time, whereas Armstrong will be backing up Flowers. So does this mean they think Armstrong, or Lucy, are potential backups to Flowers in the future? Or neither? In any case, Donny needs to make his last 6 games the new trend for the rest of the season in B-Ham if he wants a shot at the bigs at some point. Its a very long shot now.

 

I'd have to speculate that this is at least partially due to the May 2008 knee injury, since he was hitting pretty well in Charlotte before that happened. But who knows.

 

[knightni]

Just a hunch, but I don't think that Lucy's getting to Chicago any time soon as a player.

[NorthSideSox72]

End of July update finds Lucy in Birmingham after the demotion, and not even playing every day there. He's the starter, but Price is getting about every third game or so. So far in B-Ham he has a .233/.258/.233/.491 line in 30 AB, which doesn't look too good. He was an All Star in the Southern League in 2007, but now two years later appears to be struggling against the same competition. I just keep hoping he figures it out with the bat, because his defense is such an asset.