*** This Week in Minor League Baseball - July 23 *** From The My Sportsbook
By Kevin Spiegel, Contributing Editor
Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - David Doster has spent 138 games in the major leagues, but it's his over 1200 minor league games that has brought him notoriety. The 33-year-old Doster was originally drafted by Philadelphia in 1993 and played in the majors for parts of the 1996 and 1998 season. He was granted free agency in each of the last two seasons, before hooking on with the Fresno Grizzlies of the Pacific Coast League.
Doster's current fame is with his hitting - or his hitting streak. He recently set a franchise record by hitting in 25 straight games with a second-inning single Monday night vs. Edmonton. When his streak began on June 21st, Doster was hitting .273, but has since raised his average to .333 - hitting .412 (49-119) during the streak. Currently, his streak stands at 28 games.
If Doster is to break the PCL record, he has a long way to go, as "Joltin" Joe Dimaggio holds the mark at 61 games in 1933. During his streak, the 18-year-old Dimaggio hit .405 with 11 homers and 49 RBI.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Triple-A
International League: Pitcher - Francisco Cruceta, Buffalo; Player - Bill McCarthy, Richmond, OF. Pacific Coast League: Pitcher - Justin Germano, Portland; Player - Tagg Bozied, Portland, 1B.
Double-A
Eastern League: Pitcher - Patrick Misch, Norwich; Player - Jason Cooper, Akron, OF; Texas League: Pitcher - Travis Hughes, Frisco; Player - Chris Snyder, EL Paso, C. Southern League: Pitcher - Ryan Costello, Huntsville; Player - Skip Schumaker, Tennessee, OF.
Single-A
California League: Pitcher - Jamie Shields, Bakersfield; Player - Michael Napoli, Rancho Cucamonga, C. Carolina League: Pitcher - Brian Slocum, Kinston; Players - Brad Eldred, Lynchburg, INF and John van Every, Kinston, OF. Florida State - Pitcher - Jordan Pals, Palm Beach; Player - Shelley Duncan, Tampa, INF. Midwest League: Pitcher - Thomas Oldham, Wisconsin; Player - Baltazar Lopez, Cedar Rapids, INF. Northwest League: Pitcher - Alfredo Fernandez, Eugene; Player - Michael Nickeas, Spokane, C. NY-Penn League: Pitcher - Michael Parisi, New Jersey; Player - Christopher Gimenez, Mahoning Valley, 3B. South Atlantic League: Pitcher - Wesley Whisler, Kannapolis; Player - Joe Reiman, Charleston- WV, INF.
Rookie
Appalachian League: Pitcher - Steven Duguay, Elizabethton; Player - Carlos Ramos, Princeton, OF. Pioneer League: Pitcher - Zane Carlson, Idaho Falls; Player - Sean Rodriguez, Provo, INF.
WHAT A GAME
For Carlos Ramos, it was a game to remember, albeit it was just his seventh professional game. Ramos, a rookie outfielder for the Princeton Devil Rays of the Appalachian League, belted two home runs, a triple, two walks, seven RBI, five runs scored and 11 total bases, as the Devil Rays beat the Bristol White Sox.
Ramos is the Tampa Bay Devils Minor League system.
FIVE Ks IN ONE INNING - AND STILL LOST THE GAME
Lancaster pitcher Mike Schultz did something very rare in professional baseball - he struck five batters in one inning. Schultz achieved the feat last week in the seventh inning vs. the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. David Gates struck out to open the inning and Adam Pavkovich reached first base on a wild pitch after he struck out. Four batters later, Schultz struck out Reggie Willits for the second out. After a single, Greg Porter became strikeout victim number four of the inning, but reached first base on another wild pitch. Another single followed, which brought Gates to the plate for the second time in the inning. He proceeded to strikeout - the fifth player of the inning.
Oh by the way, the Quakes routed the JetHawks, 19-4.
The three other pitchers to record five strikeouts in an inning are believed to be Columbus' Tom Dukes (1964), Beloit's Kelly Wunsch (1994) and Fayetteville's Scott Gardner (1995).
NEW LEAGUE - SAME RESULT
Jeff Francis continues to impress the hierarchy in the Colorado Rockies organization. The tall, lanky lefthander won his Triple-A debut with a masterful performance for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, with an 11-strikeout, one-hit gem vs. the New Orleans Zephyrs. Then his next start on Thursday, Francis won his second PCL outing with a six-hit, six-strikeout performance against the first-place Oklahoma RedHawks. He has given up just one run in 13 innings of work.
Francis was 13-1 with Double-A Tulsa before his promotion. In the six games since his recall, the Sky Sox have won four of six.
However, Francis' college season might be coming to end very shortly. Francis, a native of Vancouver, British Columbia, was selected by the Canadian Olympic Baseball Team.
BELOIT TIES MWL MARK WITH 10 2B'S
Beloit tied the Midwest League record for doubles in a game Wednesday night, rapping out 10 in a 10-0 rout of the Cedar Rapids Kernels before a crowd of 2,619 at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Beloit collected a total of 16 doubles in the two games against the Kernels. Wandel Campana's two-out double in the bottom of the ninth inning tied the Midwest League record for doubles in a game. South Bend set the record on July 23, 2000. Campana and Manuel Ramirez had three doubles apiece.
PORTLAND CELEBRATION ENDS BADLY
The Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League had just beaten Tacoma Rainers with a walk-off, game-winning grand slam home run by Tagg Bozied, when a celebration broke loss at home plate for Bozied. As the 25-year-old first baseman was making his way to touch home plate, he apparently jumped for joy as teammates greeted him with excitement. In a matter of seconds, Bozied's season came to a dramatic end, as he suffered a ruptured patella tendon in his left knee and was immediately taken to a local hospital. Bozied, who is expected to be sidelined for at least six months, will finish the season hitting .315 with 16 homers and 58 RBI.
NOOK GETS CALL-UP FOR TIGERS
It's finally happened for Toledo speedster Nook Logan. He got the call from the parent club, sending him to Detroit for play for Manager Alan Trammell. Logan had 37 stolen bases for the Mud Hens and was immediately inserted into the starting line-up Wednesday night against Kansas City. Logan collected a bunt single in three at-bats in his major league debut. Because of an injury to Alex Sanchez, Logan should get ample playing time in centerfield for Trammell. Logan has appeared in two games and is hitting .571 (4-for-7).
THURSDAY'S ALL-RIGHT FOR OFFENSE
Montgomery's Jace Brewer had an amazing night at the plate Thursday against the Tennessee Smokies. He went 6-for-6, with a triple, home run, three RBI and four runs scored, as the Biscuits routed the Smokies, 18-6.
Bowie's Val Majewski homered and knocked in six runs, while teammate Lance Burkhart knocked in two runs of his own with a homer, as the Bowie Baysox doubled up the Reading Phillies, 8-4.
Tri-City's Florentino Nunez drove in four runs and also scored four times and Pedro Strop had four RBI of his own, as the Dust Devils demolished the Yakima Bears, 21-1, in Northwest League
Syracuse teammates Russ Adams and Julius Matos drove in four runs each in the SkyChiefs' 11-5 win over the Toledo Mud Hens.
Iowa's Jason Dubois hit a pair of home runs and collected six RBI, as the Cubs clocked the Nashville Sounds, 12-7.
ON THE FIELD
Triple-A
Average: Brian Dallimore, Fresno (.361); Marcus Thames, Toledo (.329); Home Runs: Calvin Pickering, Omaha (29); Earl Snyder, Pawtucket (27), RBI: Clint Barmes, Colorado Springs (78); Jorge Cantu, Durham (76). Stolen Bases: Nook Logan, Toledo (37); Freddy Guzman, Portland (31).
Wins: Dave Gassner, Rochester (11); Mike Wood, Sacramento (11); ERA: Ben Hendrickson, Indianapolis (2.27); Travis Blackley, Tacoma (2.63); Strikeouts: Danny Haren, Memphis (133); Brandon Claussen, Louisville (111); Saves: Matt Whiteside, Richmond (23); Mark Corey, Nashvile (14), Kirk Bullinger, New Orleans (14).
Double-A
Average: David Wright, Binghamton (.363); Napoleon Calzado, Greenville (.346); Willy Tavares, Round Rock (.341). Home Runs: Ryan Howard, Reading (36); Greg Sain, Mobile (25); Ryan Shealy, Tulsa (23). RBI: Ryan Howard, Reading (96); Ryan Shealy, Tulsa (69), Dallas McPherson, Arkansas (69); Jason Stokes, Carolina (65), Josh Barfield, Mobile (65); Stolen Bases: Wayne Lydon, Binghamton (54); Dwaine Bacon, West Tenn (44); Willy Tavares, Round Rock (41).
Wins: Jeff Francis, Tulsa (13); Gustavo Chacin, New Hampshire (10), Wilfredo Ledezman, Erie (10); Brian Rose, Chattanooga (9), Bobby Brownlie, West Tenn (9); ERA: Jeff Francis, Tulsa (1.98); Wilfredo Ledezma, Erie (2.42); Bobby Brownlie, West Tenn (2.76); Strikeouts: Jeff Francis, Tulsa (147); Renyel Pinto, West Tenn (120); David Crouthers, Bowie (99); Saves: Ryan Speier, Tulsa (32); Brad Baker, Mobile (23); Jacobo Sequea, Bowie (19).
Single-A
Average: Luis Montanez, Boise (.383), John Jaso, Hudson Valley (.377), Brandon Moss, Augusta (.358), Erick Aybar, Rancho Cucamonga (.348); Juan Francia, West Michigan (.342), Ryan Garko, Kinston (.328); Bronson Sardinha, Tampa (.315). Home Runs: Brandon Sing, Daytona (29), Brian Dopirak, Lansing (29), Adam Boeve, Hickory (23), Ian Stewart, Asheville (23), Michael Napoli, Rancho Cucamonga (21); Brad Eldred, Lynchburg (21); Mario Garza, Tri-City (9), RBI: Michael Napoli, Rancho Cucamonga (93); Brandon Moss, Augusta (89), Brandon Sing, Daytona (82), Brian Dopirak, Lansing (82), Brad Eldred, Lynchburg (77), Mario Garza, Tri-City (31). Stolen Bases: Josh Anderson, Lexington (48), Erick Aybar, Rancho Cucamonga (39), Chris Walker, Lansing (39), Rajai Davis, Lynchburg (35), Alex Requena, Vero Beach (31), Argenis Reyes, Mahoning Valley (11), Bo Flowers, Oneonta (11).
Wins: Steven Bondurant, Kane County (13), Matt Lynch, Modesta (10), Zach Duke, Lynchburg (10); Isamel Ramirez, Dunedin (10), Jon Skaggs, Tampa (10); Mike McGirr, Vancouver (5). ERA: Mike McGirr, Vancouver (0.66), Matt Guillory, Williamsport (1.23), Zach Duke, Lynchburg (1.35), Thomas Mastny, Charleston-WV (1.68), Brad Knox, Kane County (2.04), Chad Billingsley, Vero Beach (2.35). Felix Hernandez, Indland Empire (2.74). Strikeouts: Brad Knox, Kane County (129), Stephen Shells, Rancho Cucamonga (126), Yusmeiro Petit, Capital City (122), Jonathan Broxton, Vero Beach (116), Zach Duke, Lynchburg (106), Luis Ramirez, Aberdeen (57), Shawn Nottingham, Everett (41). Saves: Dwayne Pollok, Winston-Salem (22), Eduardo Sierra, Tampa (22), Ehren Wasserman, Kannapolis (22), Jeremy Accardo, San Jose (19), Adalberto Mendez, Lansing (19), Paul Thorp, Battle Creek (19), Jim Miller, Tri-City (9), Dewon Day, Auburn (8).
Rookie
Average: Shawn Rodriguez, Provo (.435), Deacon Burns, Elizabethton (.377); Home Runs: Mitch Einertson, Greeneville (12); Bobby Mosby, Billings (10), RBI: Grant Richardson, Helena (34), Mitch Einertson, Greeneville (31); Stolen Bases: Juan Valdes, Burlington (14), Eric Young, Casper (14).
Wins: Justin Sherman, Idaho Falls (6), Juan Gutierrez, Greeneville (4), ERA: Reid Santos, Burlington (1.36); Ramon Ramirez, Billings (1.98). Strikeouts: Samuel Deduno, Casper (49), Alexander Smit, Elizabethton (43); Saves: Zane Carlson, Idaho Falls (8), Mitchell Arnold, Provo (8). Frank Mata, Elizabethton (6).
