Rookie/Short season ball numbers

[Matrix31]

First Yakim, our short season A team
Connor Jackson is off to a pretty decent start. Hitting .320 with a .393 OBP. In 6 games he has 7 doubles and 8 RBI. Has walked 4 times (One intentional) 5 strikeouts. Lino Garcia is hitting .293 with a .333 OBP. He is a 19 year old who has been around fro a couple of years. Has a chance to be a star, apparently great defenisve CFer. James D'Antona isnt off to a very good start, hitting jus .111
As for the pitchers, Matt Chico (3rd round) has a 0 ERA in 2.2 innings with 4 SO and 1 BB. Dustin Glant, another draft pick has a 0 ERA in 3.2 innings, 4 SO. Robert Van and 8th round pitck only pitched one inning, has already been moved up to South Bend. Lets see if he will continue the history of 8th round picks for the Dbacks, which include BRandon Webb and Andrew Good. Mark Rosen, a 5th round pick out of high school last year (turns 19 in 5 days) has allowed 3 runs in 1 start, 5.1 innings striking out 5 and walking 4. And Michael Shultz, our 1st pick in 2000 is finally back after missing 2 full years with shoulder injuries. He had a rough star his first time out but went 6 shutout innings a couple of days ago.
The Missoula Osprey of the Pioneer league is mostly made up of foreign players. Johe Acosta, 21, has hit 6 HR in 27 ABs, batting .333. Carlos Gonzalez, 17, has 2 HR and 6 RBI in 7 games, hitting .292
John Allender, the 18 year old we signed out of Australia las year (Could hit 95 when he was 16) apparently had a very good offseas where he developed a curve. He has blister problems to begin the year and tweaked an ankle in an inter-squad game so he hasnt pitched yet.

 

[Eros400]

I hear Allender has a major league curve ball.

Kroeger was said to have had a great off season and look at what he has done. So hopefully Allender has done the same and will have a great year unlike last year.

 

[Matrix31]

yeah, i read that little piece on Allender, thats where i got the information on his curve. Hopefully he can get these little injuries out of the way and get some time to develop.

 

[mark1]

Johe Acosta, 21, has hit 6 HR in 27 ABs

This kid has 6 HR's in the first 7 games.

Matrix

What do you know about him? What position does he play? Is he a Junior Naboa kid?

 

[Matrix31]

i Havent been able to find anything about him except whats listed about him on the Dbacks minor league site and reading game recaps from the Missoula site. He is an outfielder but has DHed a few times. At 21, may be a tad bit old but if he moves up to A ball sometime this summer he would be right no track. Doesnt seem to have great plate discipline with 10 SO already. Just have to keep following him to see if this keeps up. Im actually more interested about Carlos Gonzalez then Acosta right now, because i want to see if Acosta keeps it up.

 

[Eros400]

The Bucs signed the strapping Acosta as a 19-year-old in his native country, the Dominican Republic, and put him to work in the summer of 2000, first in the Dominican Summer League, then for their rookie league team in Bradenton, Fla.

"My father introduced (Noboa) to me and he tried me out in November," Acosta said. "I did pretty good, and they said as soon as the shoulder was OK they'd sign me."

He understood the Pirates' position.

"I'd had two years without playing," Acosta said. "My arm wasn't getting any better, and they had a lot of ballplayers that needed to play. I didn't complain or anything. I knew it was the right thing. I came back home thinking there were 29 other teams to catch on with."

 

[AZZenny]

Great information, guys, keep it coming. And let us wish Carlos Quentin good luck with the surgery, and a smooth, fast recovery.