Lueke Called Up

It may have been that he impressed all the Rays’ executives who watched his two-inning save at the DBAP last night. Or it might have been the seven saves, two wins, 0.95 ERA (and even lower FIP of 0.78) over 14 appearances and 19 innings. Or just the fact that Brandon Gomes is going on the DL with a “right lat strain”. At any rate, Josh Leuke is on his way to St. Petersburg. Good luck.

In the meantime, choices among the Montgomery Biscuits relief corp do not look too promising. Maybe Marquis Fleming?

Who Should Durham Bulls Fans Watch This Spring?

Spring is Almost Here!

Four days from now the pitchers and catchers report for Rays Spring Training in Port Charlotte, Florida. Who should we be watching?

The 2013 Durham Bulls will be built almost entirely from the the players on the Rays 40-man roster and the 24 players on the non-roster invitation list. The Rays need to get down to 25 players at the end of Spring Training. The Bulls usually carry *(see update note) 25 players on their roster. So, just to demonstrate my extraordinary skills at arithmetic: 64 guys in Spring Training, 50 jobs — 14 guys are not going to be in either a Rays or Bulls uniform come April. 

The non-roster invitees are an interesting class of ballplayer. Some are youngsters at Spring Training to get a “taste” of the big leagues (e.g., Mark Thomas), some are players with a good bit of big league time trying to crack into the 40-man (e.g., Shelley Duncan), others are “players in waiting” the Rays have kept off the 40-man, but who will surely go to the majors some day, perhaps even by the end of Spring Training (e.g., Wil Myers), and some are AAA professionals who might be able to fill at some time next year and whom the Rays want keep looking at (e.g., Leslie Anderson and Rich Thompson). Some have contracts that have room for re-negotiation at the end of Spring Training and/or mid-season.

Once Spring Training starts we will start seeing box scores of the major league teams, but nobody will be covering the minor league training camp unless Stacy Long of the Montgomery Advertiser decides to visit. That will not matter too much to us because an oddity of Spring Training is that, for Bulls fans, most of the action is over in the big league camp. 

Who should we be watching? Lets take it position-by-position. Players in bold spent some time in Durham last year. Players with an asterisk are on the 40-man.

Catchers

Initially the Rays will have seven catchers in camp, but they will eventually get down to two to start the season. Why so many? Because they start camp with 34(!) pitchers. As the pitchers drop off the roster, so will the catchers.

• *Robinson Chirinos. Chirinos suffered a concussion at 2012 Spring Training and is still recovering. He played some winter league ball. Best guess, the Bulls or the Biscuits as he continues to recover.
• *Chris Gimenez. The Rays #3 catcher this year. Maybe with the Bulls early on.
• *Steven Vogt. Likely his last shot to get some traction with the Rays as a catcher. Else he will move to 1B or outfield. In the meantime he’s more than good enough to work with these platoons of pitchers.
• Mark Thomas. Getting his taste. Likely to start year in Montgomery.
• Craig Albernaz. Hard to say where he will end up. Albernaz seems to be functioning more as a playing coach than a catcher these last couple of years. Possibly Durham. I hope so. I like watching him at work.

Infielders

Even though the Rays dropped two infielders last week, they still have 10 on the 40-man and 5 more on the NRI list. Who should Bulls fans be watching this Spring?

• *Tim Beckham spent all of last year with the Bulls (except for his unfortunate sequestration in the Coventry of drug rehabilitation). I’m guessing he will be competing for a 2B job back with the Bulls.
• *Hak-Ju Lee is getting a taste and is likely to be the Bulls starting shortstop.
• Leslie Anderson got a last minute invitation. Probable Bull.
• Cole Figueroa and Shawn O’Malley are both well-liked by WDBB. Hope they make it back to Durham.
• Mike Fontenot spent last year with the Phillies and the Iron Pigs. 

Outfielders

The Rays outfield lacks depth, so this could be an interesting list to watch. Much depends on Brandon Guyer’s health. At least one of these players has a shot at staying with the Rays. All of the rest could end up in Durham. Note that none are on 40-man and only one has played as a Bull. However, both Stephen Vogt and Leslie Anderson on other lists have spent time at outfielders for the Bulls.

• Rich Thompson. Terrific outfielder. Should be back with the Bulls.
• Wil Myers. On a lot of top prospect lists. Will be getting a ton of attention in the press and on Rays blogs.
• Shelley Duncan. Strong guy. Struggled last year with Cleveland. 
• Jason Bourgeois. Another player new to Rays system. Could be fun to watch. Probable Bull.
• Nick Weglarz. Young, interesting guy out of Indians system.

Pitchers

How can I possibly guess about these guys? Especially the relievers. Here’s one list of starters that strikes me as plausible. All of these guys could be fun to watch. (Well, most of them...)

• *Chris Archer. Has a shot to jump to the Rays rotation early.
• *Jake Odorizzi. New guy. Great rep.
• *Alex Colome and *Matt Buschmann. We’ve seen them. We like them.
• *Alexander Torres. Will someone figure him out and unlock the puzzle? We can hope.

Relievers? Sorry all I can do is say that there are a couple of guys we’ve seen and liked on both 40-man and NRI list. Such as:

• Jim Paduch
• Marquis Fleming
• Adam Liberatore

There are many, many more relievers in camp, but we just don’t know much about them and, to be honest, we’re too lazy to figure it out at this early date. 

*UPDATE: A careful reader has pointed out that, as simple as it was, I still got my math wrong. The Bulls can carry 25, not 24, players on their roster. 

Moves: Paduch and Fleming

Right hander Jim Paduch is coming over from the Ray’s AA team in Montgomery and reliever Marquis Fleming is going to Montgomery.

Paduch had one game with the Bulls back on April 15 at Gwinnett, and it was the last time the Bulls won a game.

Hope??

[Thanks for the tip, Chris D]

Trouble With Lefties?

Game 6, Tuesday, April 10, DBAP
Charlotte Knights 5, Durham Bulls 0
Season: 4-2; Remaining Hme Games: 1
Box, Wrap

We’ve got another game here in just a few minutes, so I’ll be brief.

The Bulls have a bunch of left-handed batters in the line-up this year — five of nine last night. Two of the three players on the bench were lefties. So here they were facing their first left-handed starter of the year, 32 year-old Eric Stultz, who was followed by left-handed Donnie Veal. Except for the gifts, 5 walks, the Bulls did not do well. They only managed two hits off of Stultz and one off of Veal, all singles.

Not that the Bulls didn’t have a couple of opportunities to score. On three separate occasions the Bulls had runners in scoring position. But those runners were mostly there as a result of gifts and when the Knights pitchers stopped giving, the Bulls stopped getting on base.

Alex Cobb went a full seven innings and only gave up four hits, but they hit him pretty hard. All the hits were doubles.

On some nights, for some pitchers, you get the feeling that manager Charlie Montoyo wants to see what the pitcher's made of. In the 8th Marquis Fleming was in real trouble. After getting an out he gave up a home run, walked the next batter, then a single and another walk. After a wild pitch that let a run score, he was ordered to walk Dan Johnson to re-load the bases. At another time and another place he would have been able to look over to the bullpen and see someone warming up. Not last night. Very quiet over there. He was on his own. He got a double play to end the inning. In the next inning he gave Ray Olmedo his first hit of the year and faced five more batters, giving up one more run. Tough night for the young man.

Outside the game:

• Really enjoying Scott Pose’s commentary on the radio broadcasts. Nice to have him back. 
• I miss Doc Watson’s rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” for the 7th inning stretch.

Eleven More Innings

Game 2, Friday, April 6, DBAP
Gwinnett Braves 3; Durham Bulls 0 (11 innings)
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Indy Week, Examiner

Of all the relief pitchers on this year's Durham Bulls roster, the last guy I'd expect to have trouble is Dane De La Rosa, but that's what happened last night. Things unraveled for him in the top of the 11th.

Of course, if things had gone better he would not have been on the mound in the 11th inning. The Bulls loaded the bases in the 5th and again in the 9th, but could not get a run across. Both times young Tim Beckham was the goat. However, Mr. Beckham has at least gotten a couple of hits in these two games. The Bulls have five batters (out of nine position players) waiting for their first hit — Miranda, Guyer, Feliciano, Salazar, and O'Malley. Not one Bull has gotten an extra base hit.

In the long run, however, this could be a team that's death on right-hand pitchers. Last night's starting lineup had six players batting left-handed.

Alex Torres had the start last night and for three innings he looked terrific. And then he started throwing a lot of pitches per batter, walking two of them and the fifth began no better. I haven't dusted off my efficiency stat for this year yet, but his 94 pitches to 18 batters (5.2) won't look good. On the other hand, he did get 7 K's. For a more in-depth look, see the Indy Week article at link above.

We got to see Marquis Fleming for the first time. His brief visit to the Bulls last year was at an away game. He's going to be fun to watch.

Kyle Hudson is 6 for 8, all singles. He is another player that will be fun to watch this year. Hudson was acquired from the Rangers just few days ago, but he came up through the Baltimore system and spent some time with the Norfolk Tides last year. To be honest, I don't recall him. But looking through some old scoresheets I see he was a leadoff batter in a game last August and struck out a lot. He's young. He's fast. Not sure why the Rangers let him go except that they owed the Rays a ballplayer from an earlier deal.

Outside the game:

• The Rays won their opener in walkoff fashion beating the Yankees 7-6. Recent Bull Stephen Vogt got his first major league at-bat, pinch-hitting for former Bull Elliot Johnson in the 8th inning. He struck out.
• I'm often asked how much AAA ballplayers make. The answer is, usually, "I don't know." But if Rays Index is correct, a player on the Rays 40-man is making at least $78,000.
• The Biscuits beat the Blue Wahoos (the former Mudcats — what kind of name is Blue Wahoos?) 9-3 last night.

First Impressions — Part 2 — Pitchers

The starting rotation for any AAA team is frequently in flux. This year won’t be any different. But it sure looks good for the opening round of games.

We saw, and wrote about, four of the five starting pitchers last year (see here and here). Of the four, Alex Cobb, Alex Torres, and Matt Torra are very solid guys. We only saw Chris Archer a couple of times so we neither agree nor disagree with the hype around him. Alex Cobb, on the other hand, is for sure the real deal and if Alex Torres ever gets a handle on his control, he is sure to see some big league time this year. Cobb, Torres, and Archer are on the Rays 40-man.

New guy Bryan Augenstein has some major league time and has bounced around a bit, most recently in the Cardinals system. His stats show him as spending almost all his time as a reliever, but it appears that the Rays want to look at him as a starter. I think he’s going to be a very interesting ballplayer to watch.

As with the starters, most of the relievers have spent some time in a Bulls uniform. Five of the seven on the roster have been with the team. (However, in Marquis Fleming’s case it was only for 2 innings last July. He was the winner of the 2011 Moonlight Graham Award.) Cesar Ramos only had 4 innings, but Ryan Reid had 55, Dane De La Rosa had 70, and Brandon Gomes had 25 before he was called to the Rays. So the only relievers who are complete strangers are Jhonny Nuñez and Romulo Sanchez. We saw Nunez in a Charlotte Knights uniform last year. Sanchez played in Japan last year and has a good bit of AAA time (and a few innings with the Pirates and Yankees). Gomes, De La Rosa, and Ramos are on the Rays 40-man roster.

That leaves reliever Josh Leuke, who comes to the Rays system from the Mariners. We assume that he’s to start the season with the Rays, but we don’t know that for sure. Nor do we know if there could be a ripple effect down through the system. He is on the 40-man, has decent stats, and obviously ready to play in the big leagues.

Winter Ball

How do you measure real baseball fanaticism? Well, maybe take a look at Jim Donten’s work over at Rays Prospects He is diligently tracking down once and future Rays who are playing elsewhere this Fall and Winter. As each league opens up, he posts a list of players he's found on the rosters. Then he’s been doing daily updates. That's real dedication and we thank him for it.

Players of immediate interest to WDBB:

Arizona Fall League (Surprise Saguaros)

• SS Tim Beckham
• RHP Marquis Fleming

Venezuelan Winter League

• C Robinson Chirinos (Navegantes del Magallanes) (Note: Robinson has reportedly broken a wrist)
• C Jose Lobaton (Leones de Caracas)
• IF Daniel Mayora (Leones de Caracas)
• LHP Alex Torres (Aguilas de Zulia)
• C Stephen Vogt (Leones de Caracas)
• IF Ray Olmedo (Tiburones de la Guaira)
• RHP Rob Delaney (Bravos de Margarita)

Dominican Winter League

• RHP Richard De Los Santos (Estrellas de Oriente) (Happy to see him pitching after last year’s troubles)
• IF Omar Luna (Aguilas Cibaenas)
• C Nevin Ashley (Gigantes del Cibao)
• IF Elliot Johnson (Gigantes de Cibao) (Note: Why would he he playing winter ball? Caribbean vacation?

Keep an eye on Rays Prospects (maybe add the RSS feed) to keep up).

Another ex-Bull to keep an eye on this winter:

Jon Weber is playing for Venados dos Mazatlan, as he has for several winters. Turns out that the 33-year old Weber returned to professional baseball with the Indy League Winnepeg Goldeyes last summer and had a decent year.

Update, 18 Oct: Rob Delaney in Venezuela (Thanks, Anon!)

2011 Moonlight Graham Awards

WDBB's Moonlight Graham Award recognizes those players who had the least amount of time with the Durham Bulls during the season.

The award is named in honor of Archibald "Moonlight" Graham who achieved lasting fame as a character in the W.P. Kinsella novel, Shoeless Joe, and then became even more famous when he was played by Burt Lancaster (and Frank Whaley) in the Kevin Costner film, Field of Dreams. As a ballplayer he played two innings in the major leagues as a right fielder for the New York Giants in 1905. He never came to bat. You can look it up. He did, however, go on to a career as a well-loved physician in Chisholm, Minnesota.

Of interest to us is that he was a North Carolina native (born in Fayetteville, grew up in Charlotte); graduated from UNC (where he played baseball); and was the older brother to UNC President and US Senator Frank Porter Graham. If you find him an intriguing character, the Wikipedia article is a good start. Then there’s a nice NBC piece done on him a couple of years ago. And then there's a terrific book by Fayetteville writer (and Bulls fan) Brett Friedlander and Robert Reisling, Chasing Moonlight. Copies of the book are in the Wake County Library system, Amazon, and I found my copy at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh.

We have a few modest criteria for selection: Not considered were players who came through on a rehab assignment, played only in postseason, and (for the pitcher) a position player thrown to the wolves at the end of a game.

The 2011 Winners

Outfielder John Shelby

Mr. Shelby came over from the Montgomery Biscuits to play one game for the Bulls on July 31, against Charlotte. Box Score. At 25, this was his sixth pro season and, although he didn't have a hit in his one game with the Bulls, he did OK, but not outstanding, with the Biscuits. Stats.

Right-Handed Relief Pitcher Marquis Fleming

Mr. Fleming came up to join the Bulls in Rochester, New York and made two appearances, July 20 and 21. In the first he had a rough time — five batters, one out, blown save — but in the second he did just fine. Overall for a 24 year-old in his fourth professional season he had a good year. Stats. The Rays must think well of him since they have him pitching with the Surprise Seguaros of the Arizona Fall League. That means we are very likely to see him in a Bulls uniform this next season.

Congratulations to John and Marquis! Good luck in 2012!

The Durham Bulls in 2011 — The Pitchers: Part II

Matt Moore (22), LHP, 9 games, 9 starts, 52⅔ innings, 4-0, ERA-1.37, 5 pro seasons, 1st season in AAA.

• I was surprised to see how many innings Matt Moore was able to pitch since his first game with the Bulls on July 22nd. Added to his 18 games and 122 innings he had with the Montgomery Biscuits, his year was busy even before going up to finish it out with the Rays. Very, very impressive young pitcher. If we're lucky, we will be watching him a lot as a Bull in 2012.
• Stats

Lance Cormier (31), RHP, 20 games, 4 starts, 47⅓ innings, 4-3, ERA-5.51. 8 pro seasons, 7 in AAA, 1st w/Bulls, most of 2008-2010 in majors (ML stats).

• Released by the LA Dodgers, Cormier was signed by the Rays to a minor league contract in early June and spent the rest of the season with the Bulls. Nothing about his stats as a Bull is particularly impressive although he did take several for the team in spot starts as the season went along. At a guess, the Rays were buying insurance for their relief cadre and stashing him in Durham. Not likely to return next year.
• Stats

Jay Buente (27), RHP, 24 games, 4 starts, 42⅔ innings, 1-3, 1 save, ERA-5.70, 6 pro seasons, 3 in AAA, 1/Bulls.

• The Rays outsmarted themselves when they claimed Mr. Buente off waivers as the Marlins were trying to send him back to their AAA team in New Orleans this May. As a Bull he had a rough beginning losing three out of four starts. In relief from early July to the end of the season he did OK, but not good enough to avoid being released at the end of the season to make room on the 40-man of the Rays.
• Stats

Cory Wade (28), RHP, 22 games, all in relief, 36⅔ innings, 3-1, ERA-1.17, 8 pro seasons, 3 in AAA, 1 w/Bulls.

• Cory Wade did a brilliant job for the Bulls in the first two months of the season. As with others on the Bulls this year, he had an opt-out contract and he pitched his last game in early June. Unfortunately for the Rays, Mr. Wade is now pitching in relief for the New York Yankees where he has an impressive 6-1 record and 1.98 ERA (ML Stats).
• Stats

R.J. Swindle (28), LHP, 39 games, all in relief, 34⅔ innings, 2-0, 1 save, ERA-4.15, 8 pro seasons, 5 in AAA, 2 w/Bulls.

• Yet another Bull with an opt-out contract. In Swindle's case the Rays were obviously taking a look at him as a left-handed relief specialist. Eighteen of his appearances were for less than an inning, often for just one out. R.J. is famous for his unique slow curve and in 2010 he was great fun to watch. But the slow curve wasn't working this year and he really wasn't helping the Bulls. After his opt-out, no report of him catching on with another team.
• Stats

Jake McGee (25), LHP, 24 games, relief, 33⅓ innings, 4-2, 9 saves, ERA-2.70, 8 pro seasons, parts of 2 in AAA, all w/Bulls.

• Jake McGee was with the Bulls at the very end of 2010 and up until essentially the All-Star break in 2011. Then he was off to the Rays where he's doing OK, but not as well as I would have expected (ML Stats). His superb work in the bullpen was very helpful in keeping the Bulls in the South Division race for the first half of the season.
• Stats

Brandon Gomes (27), RHP, 20 games, relief, 25⅓ innings, 0-1, 7 saves, ERA-1.07, 5 pro seasons, 1 AAA w/Bulls.

• Bradon Gomes' Triple-A career was very short. He left the Bulls just before the 4th of July with his stellar 1.07 ERA and 7 saves. He appears to be doing just fine with the Rays (ML stats). We probably won't see him back. With McGee, he kept the Bulls in the race in May and June.
• Stats

Joe Bateman (31), RHP, 15 games, relief, 21 innings, 1-3, ERA-4.71, 9 pro seasons, 3 in AAA, 2 w/Bulls.

• We really like sidewinding Joe Bateman. We liked him in 2009. We liked him in 2010. And we could not have been happier to see the Rays sign him out of the Oakland system in late July. That said, he wasn't quite the same Joe we knew from the last two years. Used mainly in short relief, he wasn't as sharp, especially against righties. Charlie Montoyo apparently likes him. So do we. And he was better than a couple others the Bulls had this year. He may not make it back in 2012.
• Stats

Jeremy Hall (28), RHP, 5 games, 4 starts, 17 innings, 0-2, ERA-8.47, 5 pro seasons, 1 AAA, w/Bulls.

• Jeremy Hall started the year with the Montgomery Biscuits and came up to Durham at the end of April when Dirk Hayhurst went on the disabled list. He wasn't very successful and he decided to retire.
• Stats

Adam Russell (28), RHP, 15 games, relief, 17 innings, 0-1, 1 save, ERA-4.24, 8 seasons, 4 in AAA, 1 w/Bulls.

• Adam Russell started the season with the Rays (36 games) and did not come to the Bulls until the end of July. His numbers with the Bulls are skewed by a truly awful ⅔ of a inning when he let 4 runs score. With this small sample we really don't know much about him as a AAA ballplayer. I don't think I understand enough about his status to speculate on his future with the Bulls. He looks better that a couple of the guys we saw this year, though.
• Stats

Rehabbers

Jeff Neimann and J.P. Howell of the Tampa Bay Rays put in some time with the Bulls on rehab assignments this year. Neimann started 2 games and put in 9⅓ innings, allowed 4 earned runs, and put up a win and a loss. Nice to see Jeff again. J.P. Howell coming off a long layoff appeared in 4 games for 3⅔ innings. He didn't allow any earned runs.

Short Visits

Chris Archer (22), RHP, 2 games, 17 innings, 1-0, ERA-0.69. Chris put in an impressive two game (plus one in playoffs) appearance with the Bulls at the end of the season. We hope for him to be back for 2012. Stats.

Paul Phillips (27), RHP, 6 games, 11⅓ innings, 1-1, ERA-12.71. Paul came up from Montgomery to lend a hand when Richard De Los Santos went on the DL at the very beginning of the season. Spent the rest of the year in Montgomery. Stats.

Jim Paduch (28), RHP, 1 game, 7 innings, 1-0, ERA-3.86. Jim Paduch was signed out of the independent leagues to Montgomery in June, had a one-game call-up to the Bulls when they were on the road, then went back to Montgomery. Part of the July turmoil. Would like to see him pitch some day. Stats.

Richard De Los Santos (27), RHP, 2 games started, 6 innings, 0-1, ERA-6.00. De Los Santos was a stalwart of the 2010 Bulls. But this year he had four not very good innings in his first game, 2 innings in his second start, and was on the disabled list for the rest of the year. We like him, but have no idea when or if he will return. Stats.

Cesar Ramos (28), LHP, 4 games, relief, 4 innings, 2-0, ERA-4.50. Ramos came down from the Rays in late July (with Adam Russell), appeared in 4 games, and went back to St. Petersburg the first week of August. Was nice to have a lefty in the bullpen for a while. A left-handed specialist for the Rays (57 appearances, 41 innings pitched). Stats

Marquis Fleming (24), RHP, 2 games, relief, 2⅓ innings, 0-0, ERA-0.00. Marquis Fleming joined the Bulls from Montgomery for a couple of games while they were on the road in late July. Then he went back to Montgomery where he had a decent year (41 games, 80 innings). Stats.

Bulls Win; Jennings Leaves; Brignac Back

Game 99, July 23, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham, NC

Durham Bulls (Rays) 4, Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers) 3

Season: 56-43; Last 10: 7-3

Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Indy Week, MLB.com

Matt Moore had a terrific first day in AAA baseball, Desmond Jennings (finally) went to the Rays, Reid Brignac is coming back to the Bulls, a ballplayer we've never seen before gets the winning hit, and the Bulls go 13 games over .500 staying in first place in the South Division of the International League. 

But you know what struck me most about the game? The remarkable physical fitness of the players on both teams. The temperature down on the field was easily over 100°. And yet there they were playing their hearts out. 

Young Matt Moore did just fine. His fastball was routinely in the 95-96 range. He struck out 7 over 5 innings. His only shaky moments came after two outs in the 2nd inning when he walked two batters in 9 pitches, but he settled down for the next three innings — with the notable exception of a home run. 

The Mud Hens picked up two more runs when Jay Buente's very first pitch went over the fence in the 6th and in the 7th when a grounder bounced over a drawn-in infield.

Which brings me to the managerial choices that seemed to make all the difference in this game. Montoyo took his starter out after 5 innings and 89 pitches on a blazingly hot day. Toledo manager Phil Nevin left his starting pitcher in to start the 7th inning with a 3-1 lead, but at 96+ pitches. A single, double, run scored on a wild pitch, and a Nevin Ashley single bounced over a drawn-in infield scored another and the game was tied. A reliever was finally called in, but a wild pitch sent Ashley to second, he was sacrificed to third by Ray Olmedo, and came home on John Matulia double.

I'm no fan of Lance Cormier, but he did come in the game in the 7th with two runners on base and only one out. He first gave up a single and loaded the bases, but then got a K and a flyout to get out of the bases loaded situation. In the next inning a leadoff error put a runner on second, but a nifty pickoff got him out. He got through that inning and Rob Delaney got his first save.

How'd the new guys do? John Matulia was a last minute addition to the lineup playing center field and leading off. Two K's, ground out, game-winning double. He's fast. Nevin Ashley started at catcher, batting eighth in the order. He went 2-3 with a run scored and a RBI.

* * * * *

As has been widely reported, Desmond Jennings was pulled from the lineup and then sent to Kansas City to join the Rays. Shortstop Reid Brignac is being sent down. From the Bulls point of view what may matter most are Rays' manager John Maddon's comments. |MLB.com| The way I read that, Brignac arrives with some very specific instructions on how he's to be treated by Montoyo and hitting coach Dave Myers. 

The Bulls now have an abundance of infielders: Brignac, Daniel Mayora, Ray Olmedo, J.J. Furmaniak, Felipe Lopez, and (sort of) Russ Canzler. Assuming that Brignac takes over at shortstop (unless he's to be transitioned to second base) and is to get a bunch of at bats, it sure looks like someone is going to get kicked off the bus. 

* * * * *

Speaking of getting kicked off the bus, Indy Week's Adam Sobsey is reporting that reliever Marquis Fleming, whom we've never seen, is on his way back to Montgomery.

For Joe Bateman fans, here's an interview he did after his return to the Bulls. |Bulls Podcast|

Bulls Bludgeon Red Wings, Coming Home

Game 98, July 21, Frontier Field, Rochester, New York
Durham Bulls 18, Rochester Red Wings 3
Season: 55-43; This Trip: 7-3
Wrap, Box, Play-by-Play

What an amazing game! By the time the 2nd inning was over the Bulls had hit five home runs and scored ten runs. After a short breather in the 3rd, they hit another home run as part of a 3-run 4th. Then in the 5th they scored three more runs (no homers). They took a two-inning breather, then hit another home run in the 8th.

The box score is unlike any I've ever seen put together by a Bulls team. Every Bull got at least one hit. Every Bull scored at least one run. Six different Bulls hit home runs, and new guy John Matulia hit two. All but two Bulls had RBIs, one had 4, and 4 had 3.

Dan Johnson went 5 for 6 with 3 singles, a double, a homer, and 4 RBIs. He raised his batting average by 18 points. Johnson, Russ Canzler, and Daniel Mayora were all a triple shy of a cycle.

This was the most runs in a game this year and, by far, the most total bases (44). The Team wOBA for the game was an extraordinary .576.

The two new pitchers just up from Montgomery did just fine. In fact, Jim Paduch did an exeptional job in what may have been his AAA debut. Marquis Fleming, who had a tough inning last night, came on for two innings and only gave up one hit. They did, obviously, have slightly above average run support.

This was a great ending to possibly the best road trip the Bulls have had this year. Counting the two games from the before the All-Star break, the Bulls went 7-3, and all of their losses were by just one run. In fact, all of their losses were by the exact same score, 2-3.

The forecast for tomorrow looks brutal, as does the air quality, but at least the smoke from the fires down east seems to be diminishing. What the heck, put a couple of ice cubes in your beer...

Phenom lefty Matt Moore is supposed to start tomorrow night. That might be worth the trip. And the Mud Hens have been on a run. Should be fun, even if very, very hot.

Bulls Bash 'Em; Bateman Back

Joe Bateman in 2010

Game 97, July 20, Frontier Field, Rochester, New York
Durham Bulls 7, Rochester Red Wings 6 (10 innings)
Season: 54-43; This Trip: 6-3
Wrap, Box, Rochester D&C

Three timely home runs, an extra inning win, and Joe Bateman back in a Bulls uniform, what could be better than that?

To hear the Rochester newspaper tell it, last night was something of a meat market for rehabbing Twins pitcher Kevin Slowey. The stands were reportedly full of scouts checking him out. The Bulls came to win a ball game. In the fifth inning Felipe Lopez hit a grand slam and Leslie Anderson hit a solo homer and the Bulls were ahead 5-1. Bulls pitcher Matt Torra was cruising along just fine until giving up a home run in the 6th. The ball was handed to new guy Marquis Fleming with a runner on first. Things got really ugly, really quickly with a wild pitch, error, two triples and the Red Wings were ahead 6-5 before Joe Bateman came in to close out the inning.

Bateman and Rob Delaney kept the Red Wings in check while the Bulls tied it in the 8th on a Leslie Anderson single that scored pinch-runner John Matulia and then won it in the 10th on a Russ Canzler home run.

For the first time this year I was glad to have MiLBTV because I got to see Joe Bateman rejoin the Bulls. One of my all-time favorites, he did a great job for the team in 2009 and especially in 2010. Last year he pitched 76 innings in relief with a spectacular 1.66 ERA. If Brian Baker's interview yesterday is any indication, he brings a lot to the clubhouse as well. Not sure what happened out there on the left coast with the Oakland system. Maybe we'll get an interview and find out. More stats. Welcome back!

Oh, the Braves lost. The Bulls are in first place in the South!

Early game today. New guy Jim Paduch is starting at 11:05.

Two More Biscuits Joining Moore

We may need to re-think the name of the Durham Bulls, maybe Bulls/Biscuits fits better. As much as we've whimpered about this year's Bulls roster, the Biscuits are no better off.

Two more pitchers are on their way:

Jim Paduch, a 28-year old starting pitcher coming out of independent baseball in June has had 9 games with the Biscuits, 1-4, 45 1/3 innings, 4.96 ERA. Stats. Background.

Marquis Fleming, a 24 year-old relief pitcher. He's appeared in 29 games, 56 1/3 innings, 2.56 ERA. Stats. Rays Prospects Analysis (click on table).

In addition to these two, the Bulls have recently acquired from the Biscuits third baseman Daniel Mayora, outfielder John Matulia, catcher Nevin Ashley, and pitchers Ryan Reid and Matt Moore. That's one -third of a baseball team.