Even More ...

Bulls Leveraging NC Native Myers

We have something like 115 days before we are going to know just who will be playing for the Durham Bulls this year. That’s a bunch of months. And yet we can’t stop thinking about this big trade the Rays made and how much better the Bulls could be looking at the beginning of the season. And not just the the trade that might bring Wil Myers and a couple of pitchers to the Bulls. Rich Thompson should be coming back. And the Rays just traded for a very interesting guy named Vince Belnome out of the Padres system.

Some links to keep us thinking.

• As they should, the Bulls front office has jumped on the possibilities of Wil Myers being here with an interesting ticket offer.  Worth buying into, I’d think. Also some clever photoshopping that I stole.
• Over at Grantland, Rany Jazyerli thinks that the Royals messed up.
• Joe Maddon had a few comments on the big trade.
• For a bit more stuff on the players involved check out this link. But for some real depth you should at the commentary over on DRaysBay.
• The trade opens the door for Chris Archer to make the Rays starting rotation. I was startled to see the N&O recognize that possibility and run down an interview. Here’s hoping he gets his chance. For what it’s worth, I think he is better prepared that Matt Moore was at this time last year.
• Over at Fangraphs Mike Newman has some worrisome comments on Tim Beckham. I can’t disagree with his observations. The stat lines from the Arizona Fall League don’t provide any insight into his progress as a second baseman.
• At Rays Index, Cork Gaines has updated his 40-man roster projection, which led me to chase down young Alexander Torres’ numbers for winter ball. With 10 starts, he’s getting a lot of time on the mound (47 innings). Too much?

Big Trade

This is a very big deal for Bulls fans: The Rays traded former Bulls James Shields and Wade Davis to the Kansas City Royals yesterday. In return they got four prospects, three of whom are very promising (and, of course, saved themselves a bunch of money in the process).

Three of the four could start the season with the Durham Bulls, outfielder (and top prospect) Wil Myers, right-handed starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi, and left-handed starting pitcher Mike Montgomery. A fourth player, infielder Patrick Leonard, was working his way up through the KC system. Hard to tell if he’s ready for AAA yet, but all the others already have some AAA time and have a shot at starting the season with the Rays.

But it’s more likely they will start with the Bulls and that would be a welcome change from the beginning of 2012.

2013 is looking good!

For some analysis and stats, see the commentary at The Process Report, DRays Bay, and RaysIndex.

Hemstitching: Rhymes, Beckham, Wrigley, and More ...

• Will Rhymes, who played in 46 games with the Bulls last year, has signed with the Washington Nationals. We liked watching him play the game.
• Tim Beckham, who was with the Bulls almost all of last year except for his 50-game suspension, has been moved to the Rays’ 40-man roster. Also on the 40-man is much-talked-about infielder Hak-Ju Lee, who has not yet made it to Durham.
• Henry Wrigley became a free agent over a month ago, but haven’t heard anything since then.
• Rich Thompson, on the other hand, is back in the fold. Hoorah! Along with Rich, veteran infielder Mike Fontenot signed a minor league deal. Fontenot played mostly with the Phillies last year with a few games in Lehigh Valley. (Stats)
• In addition to Thompson and Fontenot, the Rays have also signed RHP Matt Buschmann, who spent most of 2012 in Montgomery, but did have two starts with the Bulls. And they have signed one of my favorites from 2012, Shawn O’Malley. 
• Two others, RHP Will Inman and IB Nick Weglarz are new to the Rays and, if they show up, will be new to the Bulls. Inman, however, pitched for Pawtucket last year and we’ve probably seen him.
• Former Durham Bull Jonny Gomes seems to think that his time in Durham will help him in left field in Fenway.

When he was a prospect in the Tampa organization and playing at Triple-A Durham, Gomes says he imagined himself one day playing left field for the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The left field wall at the Bulls’ ballpark in Durham has similarities to the Green Monster and it was then when he began to learn how to handle the complexities of the position.

          Yeah, that really helped former Bull Carl Crawford ...

Happy Thanksgiving

“Thanksgiving in Camp" sketched Thursday 28th 1861, by Alfred R. Waud

 Library of Congress

Just remembering ...

Family and friends and community; past, present, and future.

Is It Spring Yet?

We have to wait 139 days before we can go to the DBAP to see a Bulls game. What can we do before then?

Well, we could go down to take a look at Spring Training. I’ve never done that, but I’m looking very closely at a couple of programs put on by Road Scholar (formerly Elder Hostel) that takes you to visit the Rays and the Yankees … and you get to watch a couple of games. 

The first is in early March. That’s only 110 days off! And there’s another one the week after that. 

Maybe … 

2012 Moonlight Graham Awards

Each year Watching Durham Bulls Baseball recognizes the hitter and pitcher who has spent the least amount of time in a Durham Bulls uniform. The award is named in honor of North Carolinian Archibald “Moonlight” Graham who famously played only two innings for the New York Giants in 1905, never coming to bat.

We have just a few criteria for selection: Not considered are players who come through on a rehab assignment, played only in postseason (did not apply this year, obviously), or (for the pitcher) a position player thrown to the wolves at the end of a game.

The 2012 Winners

 Infielder Robby Price

Robby Price came up from the Single-A Charlotte Stone Crabs and played second base in the last two games of the season (Sep 2 and 3) at Knight Stadium against Charlotte. He did well at the plate with 3 hits (all singles) in 6 ABs. Price is 24 years old and out of the University of Kansas (his home town). He doesn’t show up in the top prospect lists that I’ve seen. After ending the season with the Bulls he went over to Montgomery to lend a hand in their playoff games. He has never played at the DBAP. At a guess he will start 2013 with the Montgomery Biscuits. Stats. Box Scores.

Left-Handed Relief Pitcher Jim Patterson

On September 3rd, at Knight Stadium, Patterson came on in relief for Lance Pendleton and pitched 3 ⅓ innings. It was a rainy day and the game was called after seven innings. 2 hits, 4 Ks, no runs scored, pretty good. Prior to that game Mr. Patterson had also been with the Charlotte Stone Crabs where the 23 year old had a decent season. Left-handed relief pitchers are always in short supply. We could see him in 2013. Stats. Box Score.

Congratulations to Robby and Jim! Good luck in 2013!  

About Moonlight Graham

Archibald “Moonlight” Graham 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. There’s a nice NBC piece done on him a few 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.

Hemstitching: Rays Prospects, Rich Thompson, and more ...

In the weaver’s world the word hemstitching is used for two purposes: to tie up loose ends (literally, because an “end” is a thread in a warp) and for decoration.

• The best site for keeping an eye on upcoming Rays (and the source of some terrific stats analysis) is apparently dropping out of the game. Rays Prospects has announced that it is going dark. Too bad. They were very helpful to WDBB when I was trying to get going. Doug Milhoan, Kevin Gengler, Jim Donten, BurGi, good guys all. Now am I going to have to chase down this winter league stuff on my own?
• Rich Thompson decided on free agency after he was “outrighted” to the Bulls last week. Thompson was one of the few good things to happen to the Bulls last season. On the other hand, at 33, with a taste of the big leagues in his mouth, and with the Rays dumping him, you have to think he felt he had to take a shot at going it alone. Good luck, Rich. Here’s hoping you land in a good place.
• Rays Index has put up a Rays roster payroll projection for 2013. Scroll down near the bottom to see several current Bulls (and 40-man roster guys). Check out the notes. Cork Gaines, as usual, has some interesting thoughts. 
• In spite of a stellar post-season, former Durham Bull Delmon Young is being dumped by the Detroit Tigers.
• In the Winter Leagues a couple of potential Bulls are doing OK, notably Kevin Kiermaier, Henry Wrigley and (!!!) Alexander Torres.