Jersey Shore - April 2013

Normally when a season starts the D-Bags stumble out of the gate only to rite the ship later on in the season.  Not this year as the Bags starter April out with a bang, compiling an 18-10 record including a 10-1 home record where their only home loss came on the last home game of the month to Denver.  The run included average starting pitching, great bullpen help and some new found power along with the TL's top batting average.

Players of the Month:

MR Marv Williams: 1-0, 1.98 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 13K's.  Though I could have chose a number of relievers from the bullpen, I chose Williams because of the shock value.  Selected with a high pick in the inaugural draft, Williams failed as a starter and a reliever with the D-Bags. After an ERA over 5.30 last year in 15 games it looked as if his time had passed, until this year came around.  Williams dominated in ST, earning him the last spot in the bullpen.  April he posted an ERA under 20, seeing time in 20 of the D-Bags 28 games. Maybe his time to contribute has finally arrived.

CL David Morris:  1-1, 9 Saves, 0.69 ERA, 0.85 WHIP.  I couldn't help adding him as a POTW once again, his stats are ridiculous.  He did have one BS, which came in his first game of the season and was perfect from there on out.  He is making over $7 million this year, and was an All-Star last year, but this is what to expect out someone of his caliber.

C Jorge Lozano: 3 HR, 20 RBI, .408 BA, 1.081 OPS.  After splitting time with Ramirez last season Lozano won the job out of spring training and took off. He led the TL in batting average was all over the base paths with 40 hits, 10 BB"s compared to only 5 K's.  Is it a surprise he is in a contract year?

2B Marvin Taylor: 3 HR. .373/.453/.640.  The super multi use player jumped onto the scene in April.  He played mainly 2B with Fred Ross out of the lineup and was quickly moved to the 2 slot where he scored 14 runs and was on base all the time.  After posted a time low -7.9 VORP last year, the 27 year old seems to have found himself a starting job.

RF/CF Leon Foster:  7 HR, 26 RBI.  In the offseason Jersey wanted a right handed hitting power OF, they seemd to have found it.  Foster led the team in HR and was Top 5 in the league in RBI.  His average and K's were down, but he was brought in to produce runs and did exactly that in April.  First month, first POTW!

Roster Changes, Questions and Answers:

Well on the injury front, so far so good.  But we know that will not last all season.  The only injury the team has suffered was the one to Fred Ross in the off-season and Marvin Taylor has stepped in more than likely better what Ross could have put up.  There is a lot of depth in the minor leagues, so if any injuries do take place, there should be adequate backups.  

Not everyone tore April up like the POTM's.  OF Michael Paul had an atrocious start to the season.  The normal OBP machine started out 3 for 45 with XBH and 8 K's.  He split time with Ramon Tavarez, who didn't hit much better but did have a HR and 5 RBI.  Manny Romero who won one of the last spots on the roster had ample opportunity in April but struggled at a .200 Avg while slugging 2 HR.  SP Alex Torrez also struggled with a 5.60 ERA but managed to win 2 games despite 0 quality starts in 5 starts.

Jerry Paige and Greg Schafer are waiting in AAA for their shot at the rotation and Torrez among others could be at risk to lose their starting spot.  There are 5 regulars hitting over .300 in AAA and 5 regulars with more than 7 HR's in Tuscaloosa.  A many number of players could see action over the next month.

There are a lot of division games and a big series with LAB coming up in May.  While a winning percentage of .643 might not be obtainable, look for Jersey to have continued success as long as the starting pitching does not completely implode.

GO D-BAGS!

Jersey to Call up Top Prospect

After an injury free and and successful month of April, the first days of May brought a rash of injuries to the Jersey Shore D-Bags.  On May 3rd, Marvin Taylor who had been playing out of his mind, in a game against New Orleans, Taylor doubled, then came around to score on a single by Leon Foster.  After he crossed the plate he came up limping and taken out of the game.  After the game team trainer diagnosed him with a latissimus dorsi strain, which will leave him out of action for 3-4 weeks.  Taylor had manned 2nd base throughout the first month.  

The next day in another win against the New Orleans Looters, a similar instance occurred.  During a 5 run 2nd inning, 3rd baseman Parker Morrow singled, advanced to 2nd on a Mason Bonniface single, then came around to score on a Jorge Lozano single to CF.  There was a play at the plate and Morrow slid in from an angle to avoid the game and safely slid across the plate.  In doing so he tweaked his back and was taken out of the game.  At first the trainer said he was day-to-day, but later was diagnosed to miss 2 weeks with a strained back muscle.  Later in the same game with no outs in the Top of the 5th, Jose Brito induced the Looters 3rd sacker Ronald Reardon to hit a fly ball down the RF line.  RF Michael Paul made a sliding catch near the line and apparently tweaked his wrist. He was taken out of the game for precautionary reasons and was diagnosed with a sore wrist, nothing that will land him on the DL for, but should miss 1-2 weeks of time.

With what seems like impeccable timing, Jersey activated 2B Fred Ross from the DL.  He had been on there since tearing his groin muscle in a Spring Training game on March 20th.  Ross appeared in 61 games last season, hitting with a slash line of .290/.387/.426 adding 14 XBH and 32 RBI.  Ross will be added to the 25 man roster, but the extent of his playing time is not known yet.

The big and more exciting news is the Jersey Shore D-Bags have announced they will call-up their highest rated hitting prospect, Matt "Coffin" Bryant.  Bryant is a former 1st round pick (21st overall in 2010) and was named the 21st best prospects in all of baseball by the BSA.  In 2012, Bryant had a solid season for AAA Tuscaloosa, hitting .296 with 17 HR and 94 RBI, while adding 37 SB.  In the first month of 2013 Bryant made a statement that is ready to help contribute.  In just 31 games he has amassed 8 HR, 30 RBI and 50 hits to post a .373 BA along with a staggering 1.045 OPS.  The switch hitter will be added to the 40-man roster and likely will start at 2B when the Bruins of Los Angeles visit on Monday.

Bryant

Look for April in review to come soon!

GO D-BAGS!