Ask Baseball America By James Bailey
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June 27, 2000We're back on a normal schedule around here this week, with no all-star games or drafts to interfere with the production of Ask BA. And that means the column is ready before lunchtime. That's always the goal, but it often doesn't get met for whatever reason. There's a lot going on around here most of the time. But today, here it is. Four questions, four answers. It's time for lunch. See you Thursday. I was wondering what you thought about Calgary first baseman Nate Rolison. He has shown improvement at every level. He also has begun to hit for power. Maybe more importantly he has cut down significantly on his strikeouts. Could he be an impact player? He is nowhere to be found on any of your top prospects lists. Thanks Matt Jahn Milwaukee, WI Rolison has improved significantly as he's climbed through the Marlins system. A second-round pick in 1995, he's shown moderate power throughout his career, though he's always been projected as a guy with outstanding power potential. Strikeout totals of 170, 143 and 150 from 1996-98 overshadowed much of his production. Last year he cut his strikeouts to 112 and drew a career-high 68 walks while hitting .299 with 17 homers and 69 RBIs at Double-A Portland. This year he's taken things a step further, hitting .325 with 16 homers and 49 RBIs in 206 at-bats. He's also drawn 36 walks against just 40 strikeouts. So a guy who had a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio over a three-year period, has cut that down to an outstanding 1-to-1 ratio. In an organization where many of the top prospects have had trouble controlling the strike zone, Rolison's accomplishment should not be overlooked. Had his drastic improvement come a year earlier, he might have had a shot to beat out Derrek Lee for the first-base job this spring. But Lee instead fended off Kevin Millar and has actually improved his game quite a bit this season, cutting down on his strikeouts while increasing his walks. I thought at one point he would never be able to do that, but he looks like he has, at least through the first half of this year. Will Rolison become an impact player? I'm still not sure I'd go with that description, but I guess that depends on your definition of "impact player." When I hear those words I think five-tool superstar. I think Rolison will really have to hit for big-time power to become an impact player at first base. He might be able to do that. I have a couple questions about Milwaukee farmhand Jose Mieses. First, based on sheer numbers he may be the minor leagues' premier pitcher! He is 10-2 with an absurd strikeout-to-walk ratio and an ERA that has been below 2 most of the year. That being said what can you tell us about this guy, I have read on this site before that he has great control, knows how to pitch, yeah that is obvious--he doesn't walk batters, Ray Charles could tell me that! What does he throw, how hard does he throw it, age, demeanor, etc.? Second, is this kid on the fast track because I just don't know how much more he can gain by pitching at low A? I know one of your pet peeves from reading your column is the premature movement of prospects but what is continuing to obliterate hitters going to do for him? Should a challenge (a la the rapid advancement of Ben Sheets) be in order for this guy? Even to high A, not suggesting the majors or Triple-A but this seems counterproductive. Any thoughts appreciated. JTHermansen@aol.com It's funny you should mention Ray Charles, because I was talking to him the other day. While slurping down Pepsi, he gave me a scouting report on Mieses. Ray said Mieses locates his fastball very well, but the key to his success is his ability to throw two breaking pitches for strikes. Mieses, 20, throws a solid curve, and uses a palmball for his changeup. He generally is able to ride one of them throughout a game, even if the other isn't working that night. His fastball is not overpowering, but it works well for him because of the location and the way he's able to mix in the breaking balls. You might think that the Brewers would want to rush him along through the system since they are so thin on pitching prospects. But they are taking the exact opposite approach, figuring that they have little room for error with their top prospects and they want to take a cautious approach with Mieses' development. You know I don't mind seeing a guy get that full year in low Class A, so I like the Brewers approach here. I disagree that it's counterproductive to keep a guy in the Midwest League for a full season. Every young pitcher has something to work on, even in low Class A. I don't mind the rapid advancement with older prospects like Sheets, but what's the rush with the young guys? By the way, just to give credit where it's due, my Ray Charles scouting report actually came from Tom Haudricourt's Brewers organization report that appeared in Baseball America a couple of issues ago. The BA Minor League Transactions are reporting a lot of releases of players. It strikes me as odd that organizations would be releasing players so soon after the start of minor league seasons. Is there a pattern here, for example, clearing minor league rosters now that the draft has been held and the organizations are getting a better idea of who this year's players will be from the lowest levels on up to Triple-A? So that some players will have to be released at, say, Double-A to make room for players who originally had been pegged at Class A for 2000? Or is it as simple as a reality that there will be releases of players from minor league contracts each week of the baseball year? Thanks, Tom McCullough York, PA There are a few definite danger periods for players in jeopardy of being released. One is right after the season ends. Another, and easily the biggest release time, is toward the end of spring training. And the third danger zone comes in June, after the draft. Once the draft is held and teams begin signing new players, they have to slot out all of the guys who were previously on some nebulous short-season rosters in extended spring training. Teams can reserve up to 35 players on every short-season roster throughout the offseason, but once those leagues begin play, the active limits drop to 25 for short-season Class A and 30 for Rookie-level teams. Additional players can be kept on the disabled list, up to the reserve limit of 35. Of course, the organizations have just added numerous players from the draft and someone has to go. So some players who didn't show much in extended spring get their walking papers, as do others at higher levels throughout the organization. Several teams seem to use their short-season rosters during extended spring training as free parking to get them extra roster spaces for their full-season clubs. This practice must not be technically illegal, though I have to think the commissioner's office would want to discourage it in some way. It's kind of curious how certain teams keep "sending" their starting pitchers to extended spring training after each start. The players aren't actually going anywhere except onto a short-season roster until their next start. Once June rolls around and the short-season rosters get filled up with players who will actually play in short-season leagues, the organizations can no long float extra players out there like that. That means someone needs to get cut. The players who get let go in spring training are really more fortunate in many ways. They still have a chance to hook on with one of the independent leagues, etc. But for the players who are released in June, it's difficult to line up another job because all of the other leagues have begun and the other 29 organizations are all in the same boat as the one they just were released by. Which state do you feel is best for playing ball if you're going the Junior College route, Texas or stay in California? From the position of where would I get most Division I or pro scout exposure. California has an overload of talent, so it's hard to get noticed. Jrtailoff@aol.com It might seem like it's hard to stand out in California, with so many other good players around, but look at the flip side of that and think about how many scouts there are to see all of those players. It's not uncommon to read a story about a young player who says he first got noticed because scouts were coming to see one of his teammates. With the juco programs out in California, I'd have to think there are more scouts at those games than there would be anywhere else in the country, except maybe Florida. Texas has some fine jucos as well, but if you're already in California, it seems like it wouldn't make much sense to leave. Plus, your mom probably wants to see you pitch a few times. Directory: mlb mlb -> By Ken Gurnick mlb -> Los angeles dodgers clips mlb -> 2010 – What’s the name of the umpire whose errant call cost the Tigers’ Armando Galarraga a perfect game in 2010? (Jim Joyce) gabp mlb -> Wednesday, September 23, 2015 headlines: Verrett stumbles in the fifth as Mets lose to Braves 6-2 mlb -> All-Star History In what city was the first All-Game played? (Chicago, 1933) Baseball & Pop Culture mlb -> Los angeles dodgers clips mlb -> Los angeles dodgers clips mlb -> Los angeles dodgers clips mlb -> The Impact of Television Revenue on Major League Baseball mlb -> Los angeles dodgers clips Download 1 Mb. 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