Single A Spotlight - Drake Barker

Q:  Who is Drake Barker?

Answer:  Corner Infielder for the Barrow Frosties

Q:  Who are the Barrow Frosties?

Answer:  The Single A Affiliate of the Jacksonville Jacks (53-26).

Drake Barker is batting 6th in all of Single-A with a nice .316 Batting Average. after that it gets interesting....

Assaulting a Record

Tom Becker is, and has been, one of the best hitters in the ABL. He holds a triple crown in single season records (.412 58 HR 191 RBI). He didn't do that in the same season since he hit .412 in 2013 and the 58 HR and 191 RBI in 2012. He is the only ABL single season .400 hitter. But the more impressive number was the 191 RBIs in 2012 when he was leading Montreal to the World Title. Two examples of it's magnitude are that Becker also holds the 4th best single season total, at 145 (accomplished the following year, also with Montreal). So he hit .412 but drove in 46 fewer runs. The other indication is that 2nd on the single season list is Francisco Alfonso with Seattle at the time with a total of 151 (or 40 short of Becker's total) hit the same year as Becker, 2012.

Byron Bryant

That record is under attack by a 21 year old from Nottinghamshire in Byron Bryant. Bryant is already 86th on the list with 92 RBIs and we haven't reached the All Star Game yet. He is at pace for 184. While this would come up short of the record, is there any hope that his second half could be better than his first half by 8 RBIs? This would mean can he hit 100 RBI in the second half of the season.

Around the ABL: June 1-June 30

June 1: Nottinghamshire 19, Carolina 4. The Outlaws score 10 runs in the seventh inning. Amazingly, they score them on only five hits—all of them singles! How'd they do it? Seven walks, including three consecutive walks with the bases loaded. The inning proceeds: walk, wild pitch, single, steal of second and catcher throwing error (scoring one), single, single (scoring one), walk, sac fly (scoring one, first out), pitching change, walk, single (scoring two), walk, walk (scoring one), walk (scoring one), walk (scoring one), pitching change, single (scoring two), strike out (second out), and ground out. Jim Crawford goes 3-for-4 with two singles, a triple, four runs scored, and four RBIs.

June 3: Las Vegas 11, South Carolina 6. The Outlaws aren't the only team to score 10 runs in an inning this week. Not only do the Jokers score 10 in an inning, they score 10 before the Bombers even get a chance to bat. (Bad night for the home team fans.) The inning proceeds: ground out (first out), double, walk, single (scoring two), single (scoring one), walk, walk (scoring one), single (scoring two), pitching change, walk, single (scoring two), strike out (second out), a Colin St. John home run (scoring three), single, pitching change, strike out. The home run is St. John's 20th of the season.

Around the ABL: May 5-May 31

May 6: Kansas City 11, Minnesota 10. Bryan Gardner hits a two-run homer in the sixth, and gives the Bersekers the lead, 6-5. In the seventh, Jesús Cruz hits a three-run home run and the Tornadoes re-take the lead, 9-6. The Berserkers tie the game back up, with backup catcher Juan Carlos Carillo hitting a solo home run in the eighth and a sac fly in the ninth. In the 10th, Armando Rodríguez singles in two runs, and Kansas City wins the see-saw battle.

Lasorda Division Claims Title of ABL's Best

The second round of matches were concluded in the match-up between the teams of the Tommy Lasorda Division and the teams from the Sparky Anderson Division, for the unofficial title of the ABL's best division.  The Lasorda Division carried a large lead into this week's matches, leading 16-8.

The first match seemed a formality as Eureka, winless in these matches to date, hosted first place Nottinghamshire. But as so often been the case, home field advantage was important as Eureka won the series from Nottinghamshire 9-4, 3-7 and 4-0.

Lasorda Wins Round 1

The first match-up of what may believe to be the two best divisions was contested this past week.

In the first series, the two fourth place teams met with Ann Arbor setting a tone by sweeping Eureka 8-5, 5-4 (11) and 10-3.  Match 2 saw Eureka take a 4-3 lead in the top of the 11th but were unable to hold.

In the series of 3rd place teams Las Vegas dominated Dallas in a 5-1, 5-4 (12), 7-3.  Again it was match 2 that was pivotal (by the way a game bug misscores this play).  Eric Bennett is credited with a 2-out 2-on triple, which accounted for the winning run in the bottom of the 12th.  It should have been scored a double since the game ends on the first run.

Lasorda v Anderson - Classic

Tommy Lasorda and Sparky Anderson, Dodgers-Reds, was a classic rivalry.  That rivalry is about to be renewed in the ABL.  The Lasorda Division is easily considered the toughest in the Roberto Clemente League.  All teams are over 500 as Nottinghamshire sets the pace with a one game advantage over New York.  In the divisional matchups this past week Dallas picked up a game and is only 3 off the pace, with Ann Arbor at 29-28, 5 back.

NCAA TOP PITCHER REVIEW - NASTY AGGIE!

P Ramón Vázquez #35

Texas A&M AggiesCollege Feeder

Age: 21 | Bats: R | Throws: R |

Ramon Vazquez started off the season in College Station very hot.  He won 4 of his first 5 starts but, then hit a dry spell losing 3 of his next 4.  Meanwhile, the Baseball News OSA scouting organization still rank him as the #1 Pitcher in the NCAA.

"He is a very hard worker and studies the game like no other kid we have seen", said his pitching coach.  Featuring three nasty pitches and keeping the ball low in the strike zone it will be interesting to see how far his ceiling will be.  Some of scouts have him pegged to be a future HOF in the ABL.

Another player born on the 29th day of the month but, this time June!

 

NCAA TOP BATTER REVIEW - NEED A VOLUNTEER?



CF Brooks Petersen #17

 

Tennessee Volunteers College Feeder

Age: 20 | Bats: R | Throws: R |

Brooks Petersen is the top rated batter in the NCAA according to the Baseball News OSA scouts.

At first glance, any scout cannot ignore his ability to make contact with a great eye.  He is blazing fast on the base paths, however; his defense is still developing we hope.

He may just end up being your A-Typical CF/lead off batter one day in the ABL with some pop to hit 10-20 home runs in a year.

Ironically he has the same birthday as the Commissioner, July 29th - just not born in the same year :-)

 

ABL Year III - Early Season Player Accomplishments

Rich Bussell (Dallas) joined the 15K club on April 23, 2014 when he struck out 15 Ann Arbor batters in just 7.2 IP.

Orlando Carranzo (Eureka) hit for the cycle in a game vs. Las Vegas on April 10, 2014.  Orlando went 4-5, 1 HR and 3 RBI.

Jorge Mora (New York) hit for the cycle in a game vs. Ann Arbor on April 26, 2014.  Jorge went 4-5, 1 HR and 4 RBI.

Year III - Fan Interest

Year III is underway and it looks like it will be another exciting year of ABL baseball.  A few new teams are doing very well out of the gate and are contending for their respective division titles;  Nottinghamshire, San Diego and Kansas City.  Meanwhile some veteran teams are struggling out of the gate;  Boston, Maple, Carolina and Ann Arbor.

In this ABL Dugout Blog Post we will look at each teams current FAN INTEREST.

TML Earl Weaver Division

Cabo 88

The Georgia 81

Jacksonville 57

Boston 87

TML Billy Martin Division

SF 72

Maple 85

Jersey 71

South Carolina 57

TML Sparky Anderson Division

Las Vegas 82

KC 80

Mile High 67

Eureka 85

RCL Tommy Lasorda Division

Nottinghamshire 87

NY 88

Dallas 91

Ann Arbor 77

RCL Tony La Russa Division

SD 71

Montreal 85

Washington 70

Minnesota 80

RCL Bobby Cox Division

Seattle 88

Texas 81

So Cal 61

Carolina 100

A 13-18 record and a last place divisional standing (6 games behind) by the Crush in Carolina hasn't effected their fan interest so far this season.