**UPDATED**
The Lancaster Jethawks, High Desert Mavericks and Bakersfield Blaze all posted road wins on Friday night to improve their records to 7-2. At the end of the long night, The Jethawks stayed tied with the Mavericks in the South while the Blaze stayed two games ahead of Stockton in the North.
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Posted in CAL LEAGUE NEWS
Tagged Anthony Kemp, Bakersfield Blaze, Ben Lively, Brian Ragira, Justin Gominsky, Kyle Westwood, Lancaster Jethawks, Seth Mejias-Brean, Teoscar Hernandez, Vincent Velasquez
Photo: MiLB.com
The Bakersfield Blaze have gotten out of the gates quickly this season with a 5-1 record and RF Kyle Waldrop is one big reason why the offense is clicking. As the Blaze pace the circuit in the early going with a team batting average of .314 and an OBP of .387, Waldrop is putting up big numbers from the #5 hole with a .522/.577/.565 line.
In both 2012 and 2013, the Ft. Meyers, FL native started slowly and then came on to have big second halves. Last season, also in Bakersfield, Waldrop finished with a line of .258/.304/.462 and blasted 21 homers. The production increased over the second half, especially in July and August when Waldrop was swinging a lethal bat.
He had committed to play football at South Florida, but signed with the Reds after being drafted in the 12th round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.
We’re only a week into the 2014 season, but Waldrop appears to be making good on a commitment to put the slow starts behind him. His power numbers aren’t there yet, with only one double and no homers, but Waldrop is making solid contact and has scored five runs and driven in five as the Blaze have been a run-scoring machine so far.
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Posted in CAL LEAGUE NEWS
Tagged Bakersfield Blaze, Cincinnati Reds, Kyle Waldrop
Photo: MiLB.com
Brandon Drury is playing 3B and batting in the #3 hole for the Visalia Rawhide this season. Selected by the Braves in the 13th round of the 2010 draft, Baseball America now has Drury ranked as the Diamondback’s #10 organizational prospect.
The Diamondbacks acquired Drury in the trade that sent Justin Upton to Atlanta and Martin Prado to Arizona. After a down year at loA in the SAL in 2012 (.229/.270/.333), Drury repeated the level in 2013, only in the Midwest League, with breakout results: .302/.362/.500, 15 homers and 51 doubles.
I had a chance to talk to Brandon Drury at Recreation Park in Visalia just before the 2014 season kicked off:
YOU CAME OVER TO THE DIAMONDBACKS FROM THE BRAVES. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE, BEING TRADED WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP IN THE BRAVES ORGANIZATION?
It was definitely weird, especially being signed at the young age of 17 so all I knew was the Braves. So then, to wake up in the morning and get traded to the Diamondbacks it kind of shocked me a little bit but, at the same time, it is an honor to be traded for a guy like Justin Upton.
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Posted in CAL LEAGUE NEWS
Tagged Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Brandon Drury, Visalia Rawhide
Carlos Correa was the top overall pick in the 2012 draft and he showed why on Thursday night with three hits and four RBIs as Lancaster won its Cal League opener by a score of 8-2 over Lake Elsinore.
Correa batted in the #3 hole and went 3-for-4 with 3 singles and 4 RBIs to lead an 11-hit Jethawk attack. 2B Anthony Kemp and RF Danry Vasquez added two hits apiece as Lancaster got to 3 of 5 Storm pitchers.
2012 was the first year that the draft had been changed to the current system of pool money for each club rather than the old system of recommended salaries for each slot. The Astros were masterful in spreading their money over several top picks, including Correa (#1), Lance McCullers Jr. (#41) and Nolan Fontana (#61).
Correa played in 117 games in Quad Cities last season and batted .320/.405/. 467.
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Posted in CAL LEAGUE NEWS
Tagged Carlos Correa, Houston Astros, Lake Elsinore Storm, Lancaster Jethawks
The California League kicks off on Thursday with the usual split-season format. There hasn’t been any action since Inland Empire swept San Jose in three games in the Championship series last September. See the Cal League page for all the playoff results here.
Here’s how the 2014 schedule opens:
Lake Elsinore at Lancaster, 6:30PM
Stockton at Visalia, 7:00PM
Inland Empire at High Desert, 7:05PM
San Jose at Rancho Cucamonga, 7:05PM
Modesto at Bakersfield, 7:15PM
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Posted in CAL LEAGUE NEWS
Tomorrow is Opening Day for the California League with all 10 teams in actions. Here are links to each club’s roster information in various spots where they have been posted. Not every club’s roster page has been updated so some of these are press releases, twitter posts, etc.
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Posted in CAL LEAGUE NEWS
Tagged Bakersfield Blaze, California League, High Desert Mavericks, inland Empire 66ers, Lake Elsinore Storm, Lancaster Jethawks, Modesto Nuts, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, San Jose Giants, Stockton Ports, Visalia Rawhide
The opening day roster for the Visalia Rawhide has been announced, highlighted by Diamondbacks prospects 3B Brandon Drury and RH closer Jimmy Sherfy. The Rawhide open the 2014 season on Thursday April 3 at Recreation Park against the Stockton Ports.
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Posted in CAL LEAGUE NEWS
Tagged Arizona Diamondbacks, Brandon Drury, Jimmy Sherfy, Visalia Rawhide
Daniel Roberston was taken with the 34th overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Oakland A’s and has plied his trade in the AZL, NYP and MWL leagues. The right-handed hitting shortstop figures to land in Stockton to start the season as he continues to follow fellow 2012 draftee and uber-prospect Addison Russell up the minor league ladder.
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Posted in CAL LEAGUE NEWS
Tagged Daniel Robertson, Oakland A's
The San Jose Giants will be hosting a Fanfest on Monday, March 31st at Municipal Stadium from 5-8:30PM. The 2014 roster and coaching staff will be on hand for this free event.
The Giants have Lenn Sakata returning to the club as manager after being the skipper for the Modesto Nuts in 2012 and 2013. Sakata is the all-time leader in managerial wins for San Jose, as well as for the California League.
All the details for this event are up at the San Jose Giants website.
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Posted in CAL LEAGUE NEWS
Tagged California League, San Jose Giants
The Stockton Ports Anchor Fund will host a Fan Fest on Saturday, April 12th that is free to the public. The annual Pancakes with the Ports breakfast will also be held on that date with $5.00 tickets for the general public, $3.00 for season ticket holders.
Details are provided on the Stockton Ports webpage where the Fund’s purpose is defined along with what is included in the Fan Fest.
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Posted in CAL LEAGUE NEWS
Tagged California League, Stockton Ports
