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Best of MLB.com Mailbags 01/24/2006 1:51 PM ETMLB.com
My son was a big fan of the "Little Unit," Ryan Anderson, when he pitched in Double-A at New Haven and was a top Mariners prospect. We followed his many injuries and then he disappeared. Can you tell us what happened to him? -- Bill H., Fairfield, Conn. The Mariners released Anderson last year and he ended up in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He pitched as high as advanced Class A last year, compiling an 0-1 record and a 6.30 ERA for the Brevard County Manatees of the Florida State League.
What ever happened to former Mariners second basemen Joey Cora? I lived in Seattle around the time he played and since then I haven't heard anything about him. Joey Cora, a great little baseball player in his day, retired after splitting the 1998 season between the Mariners and Cleveland Indians. He didn't waste much time getting back into the game, coaching in 2000 with Class A Daytona in the Chicago Cubs organization and serving as the general manager of Caguas in the Puerto Rican Winter League from 1999-2001. Cora spent 2001 and 2002 as the manager of advanced-rookie Kingsport of the Appalachian League in the New York Mets organization and spent 2003 in the Montreal Expos system as the manager of Class A Savannah in the South Atlantic League before taking the job as the third-base coach for the Chicago White Sox in 2004. That job culminated with a World Series ring last year.
Whatever happened to Trey Hodges? I was looking at his Triple-A stats from a couple of years ago and he was impressive. Is he with another team? I see he's no longer with the Braves. Trey called Horacio Ramirez recently and told him that he's going to have surgery on one of the fingers in his right hand. Doctors believe that the stiffness he's been feeling in his right arm has something to do with his fingers. Hodges, who played in Atlanta for all of the 2003 season, tried to pitch for both Triple-A Richmond and Rochester last year. But when his arm problems prevented him from throwing harder than 80 mph, the Braves were forced to release him.
What are Corey Hart's chances of making the Brewers' Major League roster for the upcoming season? I would say Hart's chances are very, very good. Lee, Clark and Jenkins are set as the outfield starters, and of the six other outfielders on the 40-man roster, Gabe Gross and Hart look to be the front-runners to make the club. After two good seasons at Triple-A and some brief stints with the Brewers, Hart seems ready to make the jump to the Majors, and he could see action in the outfield, plus his old spots at first and third base next season.
How long do you think it will be before Milwaukee third baseman Ryan Braun is in the Major Leagues? Any chance of this year? I hate speculating about the arrival of prospects because (1) I don't ever get to see them play, and (2) Even if I did get to see them play, it's still anyone's guess because there are so many factors involved. I do know that farm director Reid Nichols has taken a very cautious, performance-driven approach to promoting prospects through the system. So far, that seems to be a wise approach, as evidenced by the successful climbs of players like Hart, Weeks, J.J. Hardy and Prince Fielder, among others. Hart has started six seasons in the Minors, Hardy and Fielder four, and Weeks three. Braun had the benefit of college ball at the University of Miami, but you still have to remember that he has played only one season and 46 games as a professional. To expect him to jump to the Majors in 2006 is a stretch, especially given that the team has a ton of players capable of playing third base including Koskie, Hall, Jeff Cirillo and Hart. Give him a few years.
How do the Dodgers Minor League teams and prospects compare to other top programs? Each April, Baseball America ranks each organization's Minor League talent. Entering the 2005 season, the publication rated the Dodgers No. 2 in baseball, behind only the Angels and followed by the Milwaukee Brewers. The St. Louis Cardinals were rated 30th. Among the publication's comments: "While other teams have focused more on collegians, [Dodgers scouting director Logan] White has succeeded taking preps such as right-hander Chad Billingsley and first baseman James Loney and juco players such as third baseman Andy LaRoche and catcher Russell Martin ... they put seven players and signed eight on our Top 100 Prospects List, more than any organization."
What's going on with Giants prospect Travis Ishikawa? I saw he's on the 40-man roster. Will he be playing this season? Expect Ishikawa to play for Double-A Connecticut this season, his fifth as a pro, and maybe see action with Triple-A Fresno if he does well. The strong left-handed-hitting first baseman led Class A San Jose with 22 homers and a .532 slugging percentage in 2005, his homer total fourth among San Francisco farmhands. He's definitely a good prospect.
What happened to Cleveland's Michael Aubrey? Is he attending a hamstring seminar put on by Juan Gonzalez, or what? Yes, and Ken Griffey Jr. will be this week's special guest speaker. Actually, farm director John Farrell told me Aubrey is fully healthy and ready to go in Spring Training. The Tribe's No. 1 pick in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft only saw 28 games of action last year, during which he hit .283 with four homers and 20 RBIs at Double-A Akron. I'd expect him to be back with the Aeros at the outset of this season.
Will the Padres give Walter Young a fair chance to make the roster? The team already has two lefties in Klesko and Adrian Gonzalez at first base, but Young's Minor League numbers are very solid, very comparable to Ryan Howard's, and he turned out to be an elite player. Just like Gonzalez, Young has proven he deserves a shot in the Majors Leagues. Young certainly has some potential, adding even more intrigue to what's shaping up to be a fascinating Spring Training in Peoria, Ariz. Based on past performance, Klesko is clearly in the driver's seat at first base. My best guess is that Gonzalez will play in the late innings with leads and start once or twice a week, getting familiar with all of the new surroundings. Gonzalez, I suspect, is the long-term answer at the position in management's designs, a player capable of becoming a reasonable facsimile of J.T. Snow, a player I've long admired. Young figures to open the season at Triple-A Portland, but he will get every opportunity to bust his way onto the Padres' roster, along with Paul McAnulty, another left-handed bat. It won't be easy replacing the timely hits delivered by Mark Sweeney and Robert Fick, but Young and/or McAnulty could be answers.
When will we Rangers fans see the young pitching prospects like Thomas Diamond or John Danks? Best guess, July. Diamond could come quicker, especially if he has a big Spring Training. But I think, right now, Rupe is ahead of him in the depth chart, and they still have Anderson working his way back from elbow surgery. The Rangers made all their moves in the offseason with the idea that they could give their young pitchers more development time in the Minors. Danks could be a year away. Diamond could come quicker, and the Rangers still like Volquez. Everybody seems to have forgotten about Volquez because he had a rough time in the Majors at the end of last season. All that is doing is punishing him for getting to the Majors quicker than Diamond and Danks. He is still a quality prospect.
Why don't the Reds have a stronger Minor League system? The Reds have spent years playing catch-up in this area. During her tenure, former owner Marge Schott did not place any emphasis on the team's scouting department and the organization had fewer scouts than most clubs. The rosters of former general manager Jim Bowden were shaped more often with "win now" approaches rather than building for later. It's all caught up to the current organization, which has struggled to develop any of its own top-level pitchers lately. In the past few years, the club has invested more efforts in building from within. During his introductory press conference on Friday, new owner Bob Castellini seemed intent on making scouting and player development an even greater priority. Because identifying talent is not an exact science in baseball, it can often take several years to build up a bountiful farm system -- even when it's a priority for a team.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
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