29andPoplar Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 Tonight Great Falls is in Helena trying to stave off elimination in the best of three Pioneer League series. Currently they are winning 4-1 in the 5th inning with Juan Moreno on the mound. Jim Gallagher has two hits thus far, including a HR. Last night Aaron Poreda pitched very well, giving up only a couple of hits but the Great Falls bats went silent and they lost 2-0 at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29andPoplar Posted September 10, 2007 Author Share Posted September 10, 2007 Great Falls White Sox won tonight, beating the Helena Brewers 5-1 in Helena and tying their Pioneer League playoff series at one game apiece. The deciding Game Three will be played tomorrow night in Helena. Juan Moreno pitched 6 strong innings for Great Falls, allowing 5 hits and one earned run. Leroy Hunt closed it out with a 3 inning save. Jim Gallagher was the hitting star going 3-5 with a HR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29andPoplar Posted September 10, 2007 Author Share Posted September 10, 2007 2007 3rd round pick John Ely will go for Great Falls tonight as they try to win deciding game three of the Pioneer League northern division playoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29andPoplar Posted September 11, 2007 Author Share Posted September 11, 2007 Top of the 5th in Helena, things are looking good for Great Falls, they bat around in the 4th and lead 7-2. I am listening on Helena MT radio and the Helena Brewers made 3 errors as GF added to their 3-2 lead. John Ely (pronounced EE-lie) still on the bump for Great Falls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29andPoplar Posted September 11, 2007 Author Share Posted September 11, 2007 Another error by the Helena Brewers in the top of the 5th, a hot smash by Salvador Sanchez caused the Helena SS to rush the throw, it gets away, 2 more runs score, 9-2 Great Falls. A contingent of Great Falls fans made the 90 mile trip to Helena and have been chanting "Let's Go Sox" and "Here We Go, White Sox, Here We Go". This announcer for the Helena Brewers is doing the game by himself and by my ears is very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxAce Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 GF has a nice 3 man rotation who have pitched stellar this season (Poreda-Moreno-Ely) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxAce Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 GF wins 10-3 Ely pitched very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29andPoplar Posted September 11, 2007 Author Share Posted September 11, 2007 (edited) With their 10-3 win, Great Falls advances to play the Orem Owls (Angels system) for the Pioneer League championship. Game 1 is tomorrow (Wed.) night in Utah, game 2 and game 3 if necessary will be played at Centenne Stadium in Great Falls. Here is last night's game story - http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs...PORTS/709110314 They really seem to be playing as a team and hopefully they'll win the championship. Edited September 11, 2007 by 29andPoplar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elrockinMT Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 I saw Great Falls play in Billings a couple times. Pretty solid pitching and very good defense is what I saw from the rookie league Sox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29andPoplar Posted September 11, 2007 Author Share Posted September 11, 2007 I saw Great Falls play in Billings a couple times. Pretty solid pitching and very good defense is what I saw from the rookie league Sox. Yes and a lot of the good defense is because Regier purposely wanted good defensive players behind the promising young pitching like Poreda, Ely, Hunt, Mabee, Moreno and a few more. Last years GF team was a defensive disaster. Experienced veteran pitchers often struggle when errors start piling up behind them, let alone young guys just getting a taste of pro ball. Infielders like Mollenhouser, Paiml, Retherford and a catcher like Curtis , just to name a few, are a stabilizing influence on the young pitching. As a result, in part, the team is playing very well together and they are now playing for a championship. In the long run this strategy may not mean anything in terms of making the White Sox better. In the short run, it is giving the higher end prospects a taste of playoff baseball, a pennant race, and winning. All good things. One of the (many) things that need to happen for the farm teams in '08 is turning around the Bristol situation. As good as it is in Great Falls it is bad in Bristol. They had a rookie manager there in Thigpen, I do not know what type of job he did. They brought in a pitching coach whose primary language is Spanish to work with all the young Dominican arms. The Appalachian league is so hard to judge both good and bad. Attendance in Bristol has been abysmal and the Appy League is struggling overall. As I mentioned in the past I wonder if the White Sox will look to get out of there and into another league. The issue remains though, I hope the young players are getting the right kind of development because in Bristol, they certainly aren't learning how to win, they are learning what it is like to get beat on, regularly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hitlesswonder Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 QUOTE(29andPoplar @ Sep 11, 2007 -> 02:45 PM) Yes and a lot of the good defense is because Regier purposely wanted good defensive players behind the promising young pitching like Poreda, Ely, Hunt, Mabee, Moreno and a few more. Are there any decent position prospects at either GF or Bristol? Gallagher obviously had a good year, but he's 22. That's not to write him off, but it's not like a he dominated a league that was older than him... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3E8 Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Gallagher was definitely the most impressive from this draft, but other position prospects which caught my eye were Mahin and Johnson. Mahin finished up the year with an ISOP around .240 so he was mashing. I think in college he played RF but most of his starts for GF were at 1B. Logan Johnson started most his games at 3B and drew a ton of walks which he has been doing throughout college and had an OBP > .400. But like you said these guys are at least 22 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danman31 Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Mahin played with Bristol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiSox_Sonix Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Sep 11, 2007 -> 08:35 PM) Are there any decent position prospects at either GF or Bristol? Gallagher obviously had a good year, but he's 22. That's not to write him off, but it's not like a he dominated a league that was older than him... Salvador Sanchez put up great numbers but he's also almost 22 and struck out a quarter of his ABs (impressive to still sport a .340 BA) and he spent most of last year at Kanny. I'd keep an eye on Jose Martinez from Bristol. he cooled off towards the end of the year but only turned 19 in late July and already has shown power potential. I'd just keep him on the radar and see how he does next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthSideSox72 Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Sep 11, 2007 -> 09:35 PM) Are there any decent position prospects at either GF or Bristol? Gallagher obviously had a good year, but he's 22. That's not to write him off, but it's not like a he dominated a league that was older than him... Sergio Miranda, SS, started at Great Falls but was promoted to Kannapolis (low A) after tearing up Pioneer League pitching (hit like .464 or something). He is 20, turns 21 very soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 QUOTE(danman31 @ Sep 12, 2007 -> 12:14 AM) Mahin played with Bristol. He's going to be a real solid player. Don't know if he has enough tools to make it, but he definitely knows how to play the game and is fundementally strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29andPoplar Posted September 12, 2007 Author Share Posted September 12, 2007 Two guys to watch in Bristol are Kent Gerst and Hancer Vargas. Gerst was a draft pick out of Missouri last year, he played as a 19 year old this year in Bristol. A centerfielder, he was the starter. Very speedy, a left handed hitter, also obviously very raw. He has tools though. Stole some bases, hit .280, and made some strides with pitch recognition. Vargas is a shortstop and he is just a baby, played this year as an 18 yr. old out of the White Sox Dominican Academy. Led the team in errors with 24 but he played a lot and got some needed experience. He is fast, a switch hitter, and they are spending time with him in instructional league, just as they are with many players from Bristol. He has very good instincts for the game according to Bobby Thigpen but as mentioned he is very very young and it's too soon to determine whether he is even a prospect at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitesox61382 Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Sep 12, 2007 -> 02:35 AM) Are there any decent position prospects at either GF or Bristol? Gallagher obviously had a good year, but he's 22. That's not to write him off, but it's not like a he dominated a league that was older than him... There are actually quite a few intriguing position prospects in GF. Gallagher OF - He was my sleeper pick from this years draft. A guy that doesn't have the tools that scouts drool over, but a guy who gets the most out of his ability, plays hard, and put up some big numbers at Duke. As a 21 year old 4 year college player from a major conference he probably should have started in A ball, but you can't control where you are placed in the system. With that said, he put up some impressive numbers in GF. He hit for average(.332), showed good pop(9HR .534SLG), showed very good plate discipline(35BB/38SO - a big key in my book), showed decent speed(7SB), and played solid defense(might even be an adequate CF at the major league level - which would drastically increase his value). He is a guy that should climb the system pretty fast, especially if he continues to produce at this rate. Look for him to FINISH next year at either Wiston-Salem or possible even Birmingham. Sanchez OF - This is the son that Chicago sportswriter Rogers never had. I remember that he was like a kid in a candy store when describing him. He certainly has the tools that scouts drool over: cannon for an arm(handful of outfield assists), great power potential(7HR .544SLG - nice being 6'6), and very good speed(18SB and 10 3B). He had a big year in GF after really struggling in A ball, but at 21 he really needs to get over the A ball hurdle next year. His plate discipline(18BB/59SO) or lack there of, is the one reason why I am not very optimistic about Sanchez. If he can gradually improve in that area he has all the potential in the world to develop into a legit top prospect. Marrero OF - This is a potential sleeper that I am keeping an eye on. He just turned 21 so he is about where he should be in turns of level, and he had himself a very nice season. He hit for a solid average(.305), showed very good power potential(12HR, 21 2B, .561SLG), showed very good plate discipline(36BB/43SO), is a lefty, and showed versatility in playing multiple positions. I don't know too much about him, but he is certainly a guy I am going to keep an eye on as he progresses. Retherford 3B - I don't know too much about him and he turned 22 this season, which is a little old for advanced rookie ball, but he did have a very good season. He hit for average(.318), showed impressive power(13HR, 30 2B, .613 SLG), decent plate discipline(24BB/45SO), and reports are that he played solid D as well. He will need to progress through the system quickly to be considered a legit prospect worth keeping an eye on. ChiSox Sonix - Jose Martinez is a guy I mentioned a couple months back. He is certainly a guy that I am going to keep an eye on. He just turned 19, is 6'5, has a very good arm, has good power potential(7HR), and very good speed(12SB). His plate discipline was so-so, but he did show good discipline in Dom league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxAce Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 Game currently in progress GF is losing 5-2 in the 6th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danman31 Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 C.J. Retherford needs more love. I know the guy didn't get drafted and is 22, but he just turned 22 in August and has the best overall numbers on the team. He had 47 XBH in 261 AB!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigEdWalsh Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 QUOTE(SoxAce @ Sep 12, 2007 -> 08:44 PM) Game currently in progress GF is losing 5-2 in the 6th. Final: Great Falls 5 Orem 7 http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/st...ox&did=milb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29andPoplar Posted September 14, 2007 Author Share Posted September 14, 2007 (edited) Aaron Poreda pitches tonight as Great Falls tries to even up the series and stave off elimination vs. Orem at Centenne Stadium. Juan Moreno will go for Great Falls tomorrow night if there's a deciding Game Three. By the way an article in the Great Falls Tribune indicated Poreda's fastball has been clocked as high as 99 this summer. Edited September 14, 2007 by 29andPoplar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Its really nice to see Poreda pitching so well right off of the bat. Out of curiousity, how far way do the experts think he is from Chicago? 2010? 2011? 2012? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Honda Civic Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 14, 2007 -> 01:05 PM) Its really nice to see Poreda pitching so well right off of the bat. Out of curiousity, how far way do the experts think he is from Chicago? 2010? 2011? 2012? I think he's a college pitcher throwing in the rookie leagues, and putting anything down on paper about his ETA is irresponsible. When you think about what Gio did in his first professional season out of HS, and where he is today, Poreda doesn't really look all that special. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29andPoplar Posted September 14, 2007 Author Share Posted September 14, 2007 Its really nice to see Poreda pitching so well right off of the bat. Out of curiousity, how far way do the experts think he is from Chicago? 2010? 2011? 2012? As noted in the reply above, it is probably too soon to tell. Aaron is pitching in rookie ball and there is reason to be optimistic about him, he is dominating. I suppose he should be dominating, being a 1st round pick, but everyone is quite pleased with his effort and results. He is also rather raw for a guy coming out of college but that's because his baseball experience is less than one might expect. Things will be much clearer on his status and track a year from now. He has much to learn but of the several things to be impressed with, he is a very good competitor, he likes to compete. They will be careful with him in '08 as it will be his first year of full season pro baseball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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