Minor League Baseball: News: The Farm's Almanac

On April 30, ground was officially broken on the $5 million renovation and restoration project. (Jill Rusinko)

May 9, 2008

Restoring a baseball landmark

Originally built back in 1926, Durham Athletic Park will be transformed into a "Baseball Lab" to recruit, educate and train all sorts of Minor League staff.
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Cracked Bats

Heslet's swan-song season

Harry "Bud" Heslet rewrote the California League record book with 51 home runs and 172 RBIs for Visalia in 1956, then stepped away from the game for good.
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The Charleston RiverDogs

Inspired by team president Mike Veeck and his simple mantra, "Fun Is Good," the South Atlantic League's Charleston RiverDogs rely on an original and at times offbeat brand of entertainment to lure fans to its stadium. And when they get to downtown Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park, visitors enjoy a first-rate facility designed by HOK, the same company behind baseball gems such as Camden Yards and Coors Field.
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Faces On The Farm

Jordan Czarniecki - Arkansas

Jordan Czarniecki never considered calling it quits -- not even when Colorado cut him loose this spring.
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Justin Cassel - Birmingham

Coming off an injury-plagued 2007 campaign, Justin Cassel is turning into a top pitching prospect for the White Sox.
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Wes Hodges - Akron

A second-round pick of the Cleveland Indians in 2006, Wes Hodges appears to be adjusting quickly to Double-A.
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Team Of The Week

Tampa
Florida State League

Pitching led the Tampa Yankees to a 7-0 week after the staff shut out opponents twice and allowed more than two runs in a game just once.

Results:	Highlights:
05/02/08, SAR, 8-0	Pope: 7 IP, 0 R, 4 K
05/03/08, JUP, 5-0	Aceves: 7 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 4 K
05/04/08, JUP, 9-1	Nova: 6 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 3 K
05/05/08, JUP, 3-2	Battle: Walk-off HR
05/06/08, JUP, 5-4	Anson: Walk-off single
05/07/08, BRE, 2-1	Pope: 6 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 6 K
05/08/08, BRE, 4-2	Aceves: 5.1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 6 K

Minor League Statistical Leaders

Hitting

Going yard

Below are the players who hit the most home runs in a Minor League season in the last 10 years.

Player	YR	HR
Ryan Howard	2004	46
Chris Hatcher	1998	46
Phil Hiatt	2001	44
Brandon Wood	2005	43
J.R. Phillips	1999	41
Dallas McPherson	2004	40
Brandon Berger	2001	40
Six players tied		39

Pitching

Clutch hitting

Below are the players who had the most RBIs in a Minor League season over the last 10 years.

Player	YR	RBI
Gabe Kapler	1998	146
Tyrone Horne	1998	140
Adam Piatt	1999	138
Brad Eldred	2004	137
Juan Silvestre	2000	137
Ryan Howard	2004	131
Aaron McNeal	1999	131
Josh Barfield	2003	128
Andy Tracy	1999	128
Steve Cox	1999	127

More stats »