We can't expect Bailey to be dominant each time. Even the best spects have their bad days. And as for DJ, in the past I heard he could handle SS ok down in Winter Ball. Hopefully he will work hard, we'll finally cut loose Aurilia and then DJ will be used as our backup middle infielder for the rest of the season.
.: My Last.fm
Bats' Kelly finally hitting his stride as baseball player
Click here for the restKenny Kelly has an old face for being only 26 years old. If he told a fib about a previous job piggybacking elephants, you'd have to believe him. The man looks addicted to labor.
His visage illustrates how a natural football player -- a quarterback, in fact -- manufactures a baseball career. It's all work. Little time for what-if. Little time for self-doubt.
Just work. And hope that it works out.
It is, finally. Kelly left the glamour of playing quarterback for the University of Miami to pursue a major league baseball career five years ago. After considerable struggle, his decision has begun to make sense.
The Louisville Bats outfielder is a phone call away from the majors. Surely, the Cincinnati Reds know his number now.
Piepkorn's blast lifts Dragons
Dayton wins on homer in bottom of ninth inning
By Marc Katz
Dayton Daily News
DAYTON | Early-round amateur draft choices are supposed to hit game-winning, walk-off home runs.
Players from big-time baseball colleges are supposed to be the game's hero, or any guy from Texas.
Jeremiah Piepkorn was born in Wadena, Minn., lives in Sauk Rapids, Minn., and went to college at North Dakota State University.
As a fifth-year senior last year, he didn't have to wait until the summer draft, signing with the Cincinnati Reds when it appeared nobody else wanted him.
Maybe the Reds should forget about next week's draft and sign all their players this way.
Tuesday night, Piepkorn began an eight-game Dayton Dragons homestand, clobbering a "pitcher's pitch" over the Dragons Lair in left field with one out in the bottom of the ninth. His home run gave the Dragons a 4-3 victory over South Bend in a Class A Midwest League game played at Fifth Third Field.
It was even more dramatic in that the Silver Hawks are in first place in the Eastern Division and the Dragons are in last.
Piepkorn, on a seven-game hitting streak, raised his average to .341 with two hits, including his fourth homer, tying him with Paul Janish for the team lead. Two of his other homers were grand slams.
A week ago, his average plunged from well above .400 to under .300.
"You start seeing the ball real well and think you can hit all the pitches," Piepkorn said. "Then you start swinging at pitches out of the zone."
This pitch in a 3-3 game was in Piepkorn's zone.
"He threw me a fastball in," Piepkorn said. "I guess I was ready for it."
Esmerling Vasquez had the count in his favor with a ball and two strikes. Piepkorn, though, said he concentrates more with two strikes.
The dramatic ending would not have been necessary had the Dragons taken advantage of several earlier opportunities. They scored two in the second and had a runner on with only one out and didn't score again.
They loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth and scored once.
They put two on with one out in the seventh and didn't score, and loaded the bases in the eighth with one out and didn't score.
Meanwhile, starter Ramon Ramirez's lone bad inning came in the fifth when he gave up his only two runs, and Jon George allowed a homer in the sixth.
Blake Hendley, one of the last pitchers to make the Dragons out of spring training, finished with two perfect innings to win his fifth game and lower his ERA to 1.32.
"I just keep getting put in good situations," Hendley said. "My guys seem to hit while I'm in there."
Dragons tales
• Catcher Craig Tatum was put on the disabled list following Sunday's game with Evan Conley taking his place on the roster. Tatum, the Reds' No. 3 pick in last year's draft, was hitting .188 with a homer and 12 RBIs, but felt something pop in his elbow making a throw to second.
He will be checked by Reds' Dr. Tim Kremchek this morning. If he has to have Tommy John surgery, he'll miss the rest of the season.
• Pitcher Rafael Gonzalez was supposed to return to the team Tuesday after visiting his ailing mother over the last week. He wasn't in town by game's end, but he won't be added to the roster immediately anyway. He will be given a few days to work back into the rotation.
Pitcher Damian Ursin is also ready to come off the disabled list, and there might be a position change on the roster as early as today.
Louisville was postponed due to rain.
Chattanooga lost 5-3
Box score
Hopper went 1-3 with a walk and his 14 stolen base of the year
DJ went 1-4
Dumatrait started going 5 inn, 8 hits, 4 runs, 2 earned, 3 BB, 3 K
Sarasota was postponed again due to rain
Dayton lost 7-1
Box score
Janish went 0-4 with a walk
Gentry went 2-4 with a triple and the only RBI
Piepkorn went 1-3 with a walk
Dragons tales from Dayton Daily News
• As feared, catcher Craig Tatum was diagnosed with a torn tendon in his right elbow and will soon undergo Tommy John surgery, ending his season. Tatum, the Reds' No. 3 pick in last summer's free agent draft, was hitting .188 with a homer and 12 RBIs when he hurt his arm in a game Sunday.
Catcher Chad Ziemendorf was called up from extended spring training, but since Evan Conley had already taken Tatum's spot on the roster, second baseman Mayker Sandoval was sent to extended spring training to make room for Ziemendorf. Sandoval, who had done so well in spring training, was hitting .165 with no homers and 4 RBIs for the Dragons.
Ziemendorf was drafted in the 23rd round of the 2003 draft.
• First baseman Bobby Mosby was scratched during infield practice when a ball bounced off the dirt and his right eye. He came out of the lineup, but could be ready to play again as early as today.
• Reds general manager Dan O'Brien, who made a couple of visits to see the Dragons on their last home stand, also visited Tuesday night. Tim Naehring, the organization's farm director, came Wednesday, and plans to be in attendance a few more days.
• In case you missed it, former Dragons pitcher Justin Gillman, the Reds' No. 2 draft pick in 2001, told the organization he wanted to retire and last week the Reds released him. Gillman, who had three different stays with the Dragons, has had repeated arm problems and surgeries.
• Left-hander John Koronka, who started for the Cubs against the Dodgers Wednesday night, became the 13th former Dragon to play in the majors. Koronka pitched for the Dragons in 2001.
Louisville split the double header tonight
Box: Lost 6-3
EdE went 0-4 with a K
Bergolla went 3-3 with a walk
Wily Mo went 3-4 with a HR, 2 RBI and a strike out
Box: Won 4-3
EdE 0-3
Bergolla 1-3
Denorfia went 2-3 with a double, 2 runs and a RBI
Shearn got a no decision going 4 inn, 4 hits, 3 runs, 1 earned, 0 BB, 7 K
Chattanooga won 6-4
Box score
Hopper went 3-4 with a double, run, RBI and a walk
DJ went 0-2 with 3 walks
Gardner got the win going 6.1 inn, 3 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, 0 K. Save the walks he finally pitched well.
Nelson had a less than stellar performance going 2 inn, 2 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned, 1 BB, 2 K
Sarasota was postponed again for rain
Dayton lost 12-8
Box score
Janish went 3-5 with a triple, 2 runs, 3 RBI and a walk
Piepkorn went 2-5 with a RBI
EdE! What happened to him tonight? Mo rocked one, hopefully that is a good sign of things to come. Wish I could see him in Coors Field.
I dont know what was up with EdE. Too bad you wont see Wily Mo, he just doesnt have the pull that Aurilia does.
Havent done the minor league updates in a while and I apologize. I will get back on it when I get home from the game tonight.
Here is some updates:
Dragons Janish to have surgery
As a good note, BJ Szymanski is now back playing with DaytonTop prospect out for year with elbow injury
By Marc Katz
Dayton Daily News
DAYTON | Paul Janish and the Dayton Dragons received bad news Monday morning when Dr. Tim Kremchek of the Reds discovered a tear in the shortstop's right elbow, necessitating Tommy John surgery, which will take place Wednesday morning in Dr. Kremchek's northern Cincinnati facility.
"I was pretty bummed out when he told me," said Janish, the Reds' No. 5 draft pick last summer and ranked the 10th best prospect in the organization by Baseball America.
Janish hurt his elbow Sunday when Burlington first baseman Rusty Brown had to tag Janish when a throw went wide of the bag. Janish was knocked off his feet and caught his fall by placing his right hand on the ground. He tried one practice throw when he went into the field and couldn't continue.
He is the second Dragons player to have Tommy John this season, joining catcher Craig Tatum.
A smooth fielder, Janish — the starting shortstop on Rice's NCAA championship team in 2003 — was developing as a hitter. He hit .263 at rookie Billings, Mont., last season and his .245 average with the Dragons was on the upswing — .314 over his last 10 games and .412 with 8 RBIs over his last five.
The Dragons will use Drew Anderson, normally a second baseman, at shortstop and today expect the return of second baseman Trevor Lawhorn after coming off the disabled list with a wrist injury.
"You cannot control injuries," Dragons manager Alonzo Powell said. "The thing about it is, it looked like he was turning the page swinging the bat. At least he's had enough games in this year and should be ready to go in spring training."
Szymanski has a blast as Dragons beat Bees, 7-3
DAYTON | Two of the four visitors to the Dayton clubhouse early Tuesday afternoon were good news to the Dragons, who welcomed back outfielder B.J. Szymanski and second baseman Trevor Lawhorn.
Szymanski was the most welcome of all, smashing two home runs in his Fifth Third Field debut following surgery to remove bone chips from his right knee after playing the Class A Midwest League's first four games on the road.
Szymanski's first homer — following a Drew Anderson triple in the sixth — gave the Dragons a 2-1 lead that expanded to a 7-3 final over the Burlington Bees with Szymanski hitting another two-run homer in Dayton's five-run 8th.
It was Dayton's fourth five-run inning in six games.
The other two visitors were
major league baseball drug enforcement officials, taking specimens during their annual testing for steroids.
The drug guys are expected back at least one more unannounced time as per the major league agreement with the minors, while it is hoped Szymanski and Lawhorn are in the lineup the remainder of the season. Each has been out due to injuries.
Lawhorn was hitting just .163 when he was shut down with a wrist injury on May 1. In his re-start, he banged a double off the left field wall in three at-bats and scored a run.
A switch-hitter, Szymanski hit both homers left-handed.
"Down in Florida (on rehab) I got about 20 at-bats left-handed and didn't get any right-handed," said Szymanski, the Reds' No. 2 pick in last summer's free agent draft. "I didn't feel as comfortable batting right-handed."
Against a Burlington left-hander who started the game, Szymanski batted right-handed, striking out his first time up and walking his second. He came up again with one out and Anderson on third in the sixth.
"I walked up to the plate thinking I was going to bat right-handed when I noticed they had a righty pitching," Szymanski said. "I got a hitter's count and a good pitch to hit."
"We couldn't have written a better script," Dayton manager Alonzo Powell said. "Watch out for this team in the second half."
The script also contained a 7-hitter by Camilo Vazquez and Brad Morenko. The only extra base hit for the Bees was Eddie Solis' two-run homer in the ninth.
Dragons tales
• First baseman Tonys Gutierrez was named as a starter for the East in the Midwest League All-Star game to be played at Peoria on June 21. Dayton also placed pitchers Morenko and Blake Hendley on the team in a vote by league managers, who also selected catcher Craig Tatum and third baseman Habelito Hernandez, down with injuries.
Somehow the managers missed Dayton shortstop Paul Janish, who was injured (out for the season) after the voting, and Tatum's .188 batting average.
• Third baseman Bradley Key, up from extended spring training, is expected to join the team today. He had to drive his car from Sarasota while Szymanski and Lawhorn already had their cars in Dayton from season's start.
• At least one player was still drinking water after the game, trying to provide a specimen for the drug guys.
Louisville lost 9-6
Box score
EdE went 2-4 with a RBI and a run. He also had his 16th error of the year
Denorfia went 2-3 with 2 runs, 2RBI and a walk. He is on a tear currently batting .396
Chattanooga lost 2-1
Box score
Hopper went 3-4 with a double and a run
DJ 0-4 with a K. He is batting .201
Dumatrait got the hard luck loss again going 7 inn, 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned, 3 BB, 4 K
Either DJ was going to get a new attitude and come back swinging... or this would happen.
It's really a shame that someone with enough of a ceiling to be one of the top 5-10 2B in baseball has such a poor attitude. If he stayed in shape and kept a good attitude, who knows what kind of success he would of had at the MLB level vs wasting in at AA ball.
.: My Last.fm
Posting Permissions
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins
Houston Astros
LA Angels
Oakland Athleticss
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers
Atlanta Braves
Miami Marlins
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Washington Nationals
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
Register To Reply