Jersey Sends 3 to LA for All-Star Game

In their best first half of the season in team history, Jersey was awarded with 3 players being named to the 2013 All Star game.  The 3 players named to the team are MR Lucio Tapia, CL Daniel Morris and CF Leon Foster.

   Foster                    Tapia                      Morris

MR Lucio Tapia -  After struggling mightily to make the roster last year and posting an ERA north of 5.50 Tapia has been lights out in the first half of the season.  In the first half of the season Tapia compiled a 1.79 ERA playing the part of middle reliever role bridging the gap between the SP and the back end of the bullpen of Gomes and Morris.  He gave up only 34 hits in 52 innings, brining in a WHIP of around 1.10.  He has yet to give up a HR this season thus far.


CL Daniel Morris - This should not surprise anyone.  3rd straight year Morris has been selected to represent the D-Bags.  Morris saved 17 games in the first half compiling a 1.57 ERA.  He also has not given up a HR this season and only walked 6 batters while giving up less hits than IP and inducing mainly ground outs while on the mound.  Morris has looked every bit worth the $7.1 million he is making this year.


CF Leon Foster - In the offseason when looking for a big bat, Jersey was hoping to get the numbers Foster put up for NY last season, and up to this point he has been every bit of that and more.  At the break he has 24 HR and 76 RBI which both are Top 3 in the CL.  His play earned him a trip to the AS game as well as a brand new 3 year deal worth $38+ million dollars.  He is on pace to hit 42+ HR, and is only 6 HR's away from setting the Jersey single season record for HR in a season.


While 3 AS is nothing to sneeze about, there is always talk off the All Star snubs.  I believe there were a few in the coversation for the D-Bags.  First off being C Jorge Lozano.


C Jorge Lozano - At the age of 32 in a contract year, Lozano is on pace to have the best season of his career.  At the time of the break he was hitting .323/.383/.533 with 12 HR and 55 RBI.  After a huge start where he led the league in hitting for the first 2 months he fell off a little but is still on pace to have a VORP above 60.


MR Ciro Roghi - Although 2 members of the bullpen are on the AS team, Roghi has also been dominate behind Tapia.  His problem is control, but registered a 1.52 ERA in the first half of the season.  He only threw 24 innings in the first half, walked 19 batteres and struck out 26 batters.  He only gave up 16 hits and also has given up 0 HR.  


GO D-BAGS

2013 Amatuer Draft: The Aftermath

After finishing last season at 90-72 the D-Bags drafted in the lower half of the amateur draft for the 3rd straight year.  Jersey has been known for finding gems in their draft position, with their previous first round picks being Mike "Coffin" Bryant, Matt "Downhome" Doyle, and Ernesto Barzaga.  All 3 of those prospects were ranked in the Top 100 before the season started, with Bryant currently on the D-Bags roster.

This year the D-Bags picked 20th and for the first time we saw them take a High School player with their first pick instead of a college one.  They selected a 3B named Richard Coker out of Butler HS in Boston, Mass.  In his senior year he had a slash line of .341/.468/.443 while hitting 2 HR and 15 RBI.  Scouts love his contact combined with his ability to take a walk.  He is not a power player, but Jersey is hoping he can become a guy who can hit .300-.320 with an OBP of .380-.400.

Coker

In the 2nd round at pick 56, Jersey went with another High School player in CL Antonio Mata.  Though he started in high school, Jersey projects him as a closer with above average potential in his fastball and slider.  Mata is Mexican born and played his HS ball at Oceanside HS in southern California.  In 8 starts in his senior year, he went 4-3 with a 3.42 ERA, while striking out 66 batters in 52.2 innings.  

 Mata

In the 3rd round, Jersey took another reliever in Dae-hee Ch'oe.  He is Korean born and played his HS ball at Dublin Jerome HS in Dublin, OH.  While he only throws in the high 80's he has fantastic movement and very good control.  He throws 3 pitches and had an ERA of 2.73 in 26.1 innings, while only giving up 1 HR and 9 BB. Ch'oe also sports an amazing mustache.

Ch'oe

In the 4th round, Jersey finally went back and grabbed a college player, and a very good one at that.  Out of Mississippi State, they selected 4 year starter OF Matt Davidson.  You might recognize that name as he set the college single season for HR last season with 29, and sits 10th all time with 74.  While he hit .335 last year, he doesn't project to a contact hitter against big league pitching.  He falls into the hit it far or strikeout category.  

Davidson

For their 5th round pick, the D-Bags selected their 3rd pitcher of the day in Paul Moore, a 22 year old out of Penn State University.  Moore had an outstanding senior year, going 5-1 in 10 starts with a 2.08 ERA and 1.03 WHIP.  He throws low-mid 90's and throws 3 pitches and is known as a workhorse.  There is a good chance he will be converted to a reliever if he cannot improve his changeup.

Rounds 6-10, which usually lack impact players saw the D-Bags take 2 HS pitchers, 1 HS bat, 1 college pitcher and 1 college bat. 

Hopefully this crop of prospects will add to Jersey's already deep minors and help them maintain their #2 prospect system ranking.  

GO D-BAGS

D-Bags Make Trade, Bring in Powers

Scott Powers was a popular name around the Jersey Shore clubhouse this off-season.  With Damien Balmforth leaving via free agency, it left Ramon Tavarez, Joe Hernandez and Bill Welshman as the only RH OF bats on the roster.  While neither of these players are slouches, management didn't view either as everyday starters.  Powers was rumored to be headed to the Shore in an off season trade but things fell through and the two sides couldn't seem to work things out after that.  As we know Jersey went in a separate direction and acquired power bat and RH OF Leon Foster from the New York Knights.  It was Jersey's only big move of the offseason and paid dividends as Foster is in the Top 5 in HR and is on pace to hit 48.

 Powers

Through a sluggish May and even into June even though the Bags lead the CL in BA/OBP/SLG/Runs/Hits they lack consistency.  No one complains when in the past 7 weeks they have scored 9 runs or more 15 times.  It's the 13 times during that same stretch they have scored 3 or less runs and the 4 times they have been shutout.

After a slow start by the Niagara Falls Frenzy and even slower start by CF Scott Powers, Jersey again reached out and inquired about Powers.  After posting a triple slash line of .311/.376/.434 with a VORP of almost 40 last season, Powers line through the time of the trade looked like a shell of his former self at .250/.361/.321.  A line that is marginally better than a replacement player.  Powers has a contract of nearly 4 million this year and just over 4 million for the next 2 years, which would be put him over the age of 30.  Talks resumed last week and the two teams finally found an agreeable point. 

Niagara Falls sent Powers and a small sum of cash to Jersey Shore in exchange for AAA MR Alonso Jiminez, AAA 2B Benny McCafferty and AAA SP Marty Twombly.  Though Jersey did in fact get their man, they also parted with some quality pieces.  

Jiminez in a solid bullpen arm that some scouts say could be a very good setup man.  He has dominated at every level he has pitched at, including that set up role in AAA this season.  McCafferty was a college on base machine playing at St. John's before being drafted by Jersey.  He struggled in his first 3 minor league seasons before really busting out last season in AA/AAA.  He hit a scorching .351 with AA Gainesville before being promoted to AAA Tuscaloosa where he found a power stroke, bashed 12 HR, amassed 36 XBH in only 114 games.  He should step in and start for Niagara Falls.  

             McCafferty                 Jiminez                

It is unknown where Powers will hit and at this point where he will play for Jersey Shore.  He has seen all his playing time at CF this season, but Jersey sees him more of a corner OF, where he once won a Gold Glove.  If he can get his OBP to his career levels, a lineup of Taylor-Powers-Bonniface-Foster-Lozano could produce a ton of runs and should give fear to many GM's in the league.  That isn't even mentioned former All-Star Parker Morrow, SS Jerome Lindsey, and young studs Mike Bryant and Antonio Ruiz.  If healthy this team could get scary.  They already lead the league in most offensive categories, the two the lack in: BB and SB.....two of Powers specialties.  

With Powers now on the team the Jersey Shore would now like to announce a merchandising special.  We would like to introduce the Power's Muscle Tank.  Perfect for taking to the gym or laying on the beach.  Who's gunna question those guns of yours when you have the word "Power" on your back?

ORDER YOURS TODAY!

Jersey Shore - May 2013

After a quick start in April for the usual slow starting D-Bags, was it any surprise that May brought struggles?  The D-Bags had their first losing month after tallying 5 winning months in a row and finished May with a 13-15 record, putting their overall record at 31-25 for the season.  The month all started by placing 2 starters on the DL, something they skirted by through April without having to do.  After winning a POTM award in April spark-plug Marvin Taylor missed the majority of the month, as well as 3B Parker Morrow with injuries sustained in the same game.  Later in the month OF speedster Bill Welshman who surprised everyone with a quick start tore a rib cage muscle and will return sometime in August. 

Players of the Month:

SP Jose Reyes: 3-3, 2.19 ERA, 0.95 WHIP.  Reyes returns to the POTM section for a 2nd straight year after a strong month in May.  His record was not stellar but that's more of the offensive problems than his, as he threw 5 Quality Starts and 2 of his 3 losses he gave up 3 and 1 ER respectively.  He averaged 8 innings per start and threw 2 complete games and added a shutout in for month.

MR Lucio Tapia:  1-0, 1.08 ERA, 1.20 WHIP. Tapia was stellar out of the bullpen for the D-Bags in May.  He pitched in 13 games, averaging over 12K/9 racking the highest WAR for pitchers on the team at 1.7.  The 28 year old who struggled with an ERA over 5 in 51 games last year seems to have found his stride posting a sub 2.00 ERA throughout the first 2 months of this young season.

C Luis Antonio Duran: 7 HR, 17 RBI, .291/.364/.595. 2 months into the season and Jersey has it's 2nd catcher on the POTM list.  After a very poor ST, Duran popped onto the screen in May co-leading the team in HR, which included a stretch of 4 HR in 4 games in mid-May.  He mainly saw time at DH while regular catcher Jorge Lozano did the catching, but look for these two to trade off during the season.

2B Antonio Ruiz: 2 HR, 14RBI, .306 BA, 18 R.  After a subpar rookie season and an underwhelming April, Ruiz finally showed a little of what scouts having been talking about for years with this 25 year old.  He mainly saw time at 1, and hit for some power, average and even speed with 3 2B and 2 3B.  Through May he is hitting around .300 and is taking more and more AB's away from 1B Milliard Cross, and I wouldn't expect that trend to stop anytime soon.

RF/CF Leon Foster:  7 HR, 22 RBI.  2nd month on the team, 2nd POTM award.  Foster again showed why the Bags traded for him bashing 7 HR for the 2nd straight month.  That was encouraging, but what really has management happy is the fact he also led the team in BB with 17.   He is on pace to almost double the walks he had last season and get back to what that OBP was looking like in 2011.  As of the last day of May, he is on pace to shatter the D-Bags HR record which right now stands at 30 by William Hinson in 2011.

Roster Changes, Questions and Answers:

With the injuries that happened we got to see some new faces in May.  Fred Ross returned from the DL he sustained in ST and went 0-11 for the month.  Super prospect Mike Bryant was called up and received 45 AB in May and struggled, hitting 1 HR and 5 RBI, but slumping to a .222 BA mark.  The scouts think he is ready for the pros, but might need some playing time to work out the nerves and kinks.  Also making their Major League debut in May was OF Sergio Rodriguez.  The 25 year old only appeared in 4 games gaining 3 hits in 12 AB, and was recalled to AAA when Michael Paul returned to action.

On the pitching front, Alex Torrez after a horrid April start, started 1 game in May and was lit up.  He was pulled from the rotation and replaced with Greg Schaefer from AAA who didn't fare much better compiling a 5.40 ERA in 5 starts.  Torrez went on to clear waivers but refused his assignment to get back on track in AAA.  At the end of May he hadn't pitched anywhere and his status for the remained of the season was up in the air.

It's been hinted a lot that if Schaefer can't find success at the ML level he will come back to AAA and we will see the debut of top pitching prospect Jerry Paige.  Through May Paige has a 5-0 record and a 2.96 ERA in AAA Tuscaloosa. 

May saw 7 1-run losses as the offense struggled to push runs across the board.  10 times of 28 they scored 3 runs or less and were shutout 3 times during the month which ended 1-0, 1-0, 2-0.  3 great efforts by the pitching staff wasted.

While the schedule doesn't look easy in June, a winning record should be obtainable.  The obstacles will be a 3 game set @Boston followed by a 3 game home stand with Hendersonville with a 6 game road trip at the end of the month to the seemingly out of nowhere red hot Regina and ending with division rival Pittsburgh.

GO D-BAGS!