Friday Thunder Notes

– You would think that on a day like today, there wasn’t a whole lot of information that could be gathered.  Well, think again…

There isn’t too much more of a clarification on Cody Johnson’s hamstring injury, nothing concrete anyway.  Johnson politely declined to comment in the clubhouse before the game, telling me that he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to discuss such matters.  To be very clear, it was exactly that…sometimes when a guy blows you off in the clubhouse, you drop the “Player X declined to comment” as a subtle screw you, but this isn’t it at all.  He wasn’t sure if he was going to do the right thing, so he said nothing.  I have zero problem with that.  Cody’s one of the more gregarious guys in that clubhouse, so there’s nothing bad to say about the guy.

There is, however, bad news…Johnson did have an MRI done, and while there weren’t any specifics revealed, the man who leads the Eastern League with 16 home runs, is fourth in extra-base hits (28), fifth in slugging percentage (.520) and has reached base safely in 52 of his 59 games played this season will be missing “quite a bit of time” according to manager Tony Franklin.

“It’s a tough break for him,” Franklin said.

“We asked him to put up some numbers, and he went out and did that. But here comes the injury that’s going to derail his season, and I feel pretty bad about that. He’s probably pretty crushed about it…it’s significant enough to where it’s going to keep him out of the lineup for a good bit of time.”

Johnson was walking around in the clubhouse with a slight limp — nowhere near as severe as the one he exhibited after suffering the original injury legging out a single on Wednesday night — with his hamstring wrapped relatively lightly.  With All-Star selections to be revealed soon, it’s a shame that a likely well-deserved spot in the midsummer classic will also be taken away from him. 

The Thunder can expect to have four or five players named to the team, I’d suspect.  If Kelvin Perez doesn’t go, it’s a travesty.  Brett Marshall has put himself into contention with a strong first half, and Abe Almonte’s got to be in the conversation as well.

– I wrote about this in The Trentonian tonight, as part of my story on Johnson, but the New York Yankees have signed Jon Meloan from the independent Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks.  So I’ll post their release on the Thunder being assigned the former big leaguer here instead:

(PR) (Central Islip, N.Y., June 22, 2012) – The Long Island Ducks today announced that right-handed pitcher Jon Meloan has been signed by the New York Yankees organization. Meloan becomes the fifth Duck to be signed by a Major League organization this year (Mitch Canham, Cardinals; Mike Rivera, Red Sox; Ryan Garko, Rays; Lew Ford, Orioles).

 

“Jon has done a terrific job at the back end of our bullpen this year,” says Ducks manager Kevin Baez. “We wish him continued success in the Yankees organization.”

 

Meloan will report to the Double-A Trenton Thunder of the Eastern League. While with the Ducks, the former Major Leaguer compiled a perfect 4-0 record with a team-best 0.99 ERA and 11 saves, good for second in the Atlantic League. The Kansas native struck out 36 batters while walking only eight and allowed just three earned runs in 27 and one-third innings pitched.

 

The 27-year-old has spent parts of three seasons in the big leagues with the Dodgers, Indians, and Athletics. He made his Major League debut on September 1, 2007, earning his first strikeout in two innings of work. Overall, the 27-year-old has a 4.58 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 13 Major League contests.

END PR

To be clear, that move is not official on the Thunder end.  A player would need to come off Trenton’s roster to accomodate Meloan, and I wonder if it wouldn’t happen until between games of the doubleheader…if that’s legal by Eastern League rules, it may not be.  The activation of Jeff Farnham gave Trenton three catchers…wonder if it’s Kyle Higashioka who gets sent down for Meloan.

– I’ve got injury updates, folks.  Spoke to Craig Heyer and Josh Romanski today, and informally with Walter Ibarra as well.

Ibarra started throwing today as he inches closer to a return from a hand injury…as for Heyer and Romanski, it turns out both are on what essentially are on the same throwing program, which entailed both throwing 25-pitch sim games today.  Also sounds like Romanski is a little further along in his progress than Heyer, but I’ll let them tell you all about it.

HEYER: “It was live BP, I threw 25 pitches, game-like.  I was pretty in front, but there were hitters in there and it felt good to get in there and finally face some hitters.  I threw everything; sinker, cutter, slider, changeup.  I think I have a live sim game coming up here in maybe two-three days.  One or two of those, and I think I’m back on the mound in the first part of July. 

“I feel really good.  Mechanically, I’m not really there yet, because I’ve taken so much time off.  But, my arm felt good and my body feels good, and I’m happy to get back out there.  Being sidelined for an arm injury is definitely frustrating, so I’m looking forward to getting back out there.  I think I’d either come back for the Portland series at their place or either the first or second game back here.”

ROMANSKI: “I felt good again on the mound today, I threw to some hitters.  I actually feel like I’m getting closer and closer.  Once hitters step in the box and you get on the mound, even for a sim game, you know getting in a game is right around the corner.  I think today was 25 (pitches).  Me and Craig are on the same exact throwing program, so we’re pretty much scheduled to be coming back in action around the same time.

“I don’t think I threw any cutters, I think it was all fastball, curveball, changeup, but it’s kind of tough when you’re only throwing 25 pitches.  You kind of want to get that fastball going.  For me, my second best pitch is my changeup, and I’d like to get that going too.  I threw some breaking balls in there, but mostly it was just fastball-changeup.

“The blister is gone, 100 percent gone.  The finger feels great.  Unless something comes out of nowhere, I expect to be back July 2nd.  (This wiped out) pretty much half the season for me.  It’s been pretty frustrating for me.  I’m a competitor, and I play a sport.  That’s what I like to do, I like to play that sport.  I like to compete.  Not being able to be on the field, especially for something as small as a skin blister is pretty tough.”

– Shaeffer Hall starts Game 1, Ryan Pope goes in Game 2.  5:05 start.  As for Pope, he came up as a starter but has been coming out of the bullpen for the past two years.  It seems like he’s just filling a hole right now until Heyer or Romanski can return.  But why?

“We’re giving a couple guys some breaks, they’ve reached their innings (limits) pretty quick,” Pope said. 

“I have to step in.  I think it’s harder to go from relieving to starting than it is starting to relieving.  Mainly because you have to build up, and I’m not used to that, I haven’t done it in two years.  Getting up and getting down is the hardest part.  I don’t how to take it, I just try to do what I can for the time being.  If that’s what they want to keep me as, that’s fine.  I’m always happy to have a job, that’s my main concern.”

Pope will likely throw 50 pitches plus one batter more tomorrow…

– I spoke to Jackie Bradley, Jr. and Anthony Ranaudo at length today.  Both highly regarded Red Sox prospects…Ranaudo is Boston’s most highly regarded pitching prospect, and will throw in one of the games tomorrow.  Bradley will play in just his second Double-A game tomorrow as well…I’ll have chats with both of them posted on here, hopefully with the Ranaudo one coming soon to prep you for his start.

Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com

Friday Night Rained Out

The game was postponed due to rain…two seven-inning games tomorrow starting at 5:05 PM.  Tony Franklin told me after the game that Shaeffer Hall’s starting Game 1, and Ryan Pope’s going in Game 2.

Got a lot of stuff done today, and I’ll have a big post-uhhh, rainout wrap-up when I get back home.  Injury updates and a lot more.

Game 71: Pre-Game Notes (Johnson To DL)

3:45 PM — Pitching matchups for the weekend (Sat-Sun-Mon)…

TRENTON: Pope, O’Brien, Nuno
PORTLAND: Ranaudo, Hernandez, Britton

3:30 PM — Lineups…

Thunder: A Almonte 8, Pirela 4, Z Almonte 9, Mesa DH, Murton 3, Sublett 7, Maruszak 5, Gil 2, Mujica 6, Hall P

Portland: Bradley 8, Tejeda 7, Rodriguez 3, Brentz DH, Smith 5, Butler 2, Gibson 6, Dent 4, Hissey 9, Pimentel P

3:15 PM — Just got to the ballpark, and there’s news already.  It isn’t good, but it was unfortunately expected.  Thunder slugger Cody Johnson has been placed on the disabled list with “left hamstring tightness.”  Jeff Farnham has been activated.  Kyle Higashioka remains for now.

With all due respect to the backstops mentioned, the main story here is Johnson.  The 23-year-old led the Eastern League with 16 home runs this season, but pulled up lame running out a fourth inning single on Wednesday night.  While he had struggled as of late (.167 in last ten games; 19 K’s in 36 AB’s), he still provided a power threat in the middle of Tony Franklin’s lineup.  I hope to have word from Cody, as well as any word on the severity of the injury, after I get back from the clubhouse around 6 PM.

Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com

Know Your Opponents: Gary Brown

If the baseball thing doesn’t work out for Gary Brown, maybe he can fall back on writing.  On Wednesday, the 23-year-old outfielder found himself in the visiting clubhouse at Waterfront Park, working on his penmanship in a letter of appeal to a fine from the Eastern League following a recent ejection.

Typically, the use of a pen isn’t considered to be one of the best tools that the San Francisco Giants top prospect — according to Baseball America, that is — has.  In short, he won’t be joining me in the press box any time soon; the ink will be about him, not by him. 

The publication rates his speed as an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale, and grades him out as a 60 overall, which projects him as a regular first-division player according to them.  This season, Brown is hitting .247 through his first 71 games, and has stolen 19 bases after an eye-opening 53 swipes last season in High-A.

I got to spend a few minutes outside the clubhouse with Brown and asked him about that speed, trade rumors, the Futures Game (in which he’s pictured in one of my photos, to the left) and a lot more.  My chat with Richmond Flying Squirrels outfielder Gary Brown…

Mike Ashmore: The San Francisco Giants took you with the 24th overall pick back in 2010…what do you remember about that day?

Gary Brown: “It was awesome.  It was a really good feeling.  I’d have to say it was nice to be recognized for your hard work and that someone else saw it and they wanted to take you with their first pick.  It’s an unbelievable feeling.  I remember we were at Regionals, and I had a broken hand so I couldn’t play.  As sad as I was about that, that made my day.  So I was smiling from ear to ear the rest of the day.” 

Ashmore: Did you go around where you were expecting to?

Brown: “There was some talk, you know how it goes.  Your people behind you kind of have an idea and they kind of let you in so you don’t get disappointed or anything.  I had been drafted out of high school.  It wasn’t quite similar, but I was told I was going to go somewhere that I didn’t go, and it kind of broke my heart.  I didn’t have any sights set on anything this time, so it was a good feeling.”

Ashmore: Getting picked to go to the Futures Game last year, that must have been a pretty good feeling as well…

Brown: “That was a lot of fun, too.  It gave me an opportunity to have a big league experience.  You get on a plane, you go fly somewhere and you’re in a big league facility with a bunch of other guys.  It was a lot of fun, and it was really a great opportunity.  I got to start that game, and it was an awesome experience.”

Ashmore: I was out there covering that game last year, and to see the level of talent out there was really impressive to me.  But actually being a part of it, I’m kind of curious if there was anyone there who really stood out to you amongst your peers…

Brown: “Wil Myers put on a show during BP.  I remember just watching him, and he was backspinning some balls.  For as young as he is and for how much power he has, it was pretty impressive.  It kind of made me jealous, watching that these young guys with all this power, I was wishing I had a little more.  (Laughs) But, Wil Myers did stand out to me in batting practice to me for sure.”

Ashmore: Zack Wheeler came in here about two weeks ago, and we were talking about the day he got traded and how he sent a text to you asking if you’d been traded, but it ultimately ended up being him.  What do you remember about that day?

Brown: “The same thing, really.  There had been a lot of talk before, but we’d done a good job of not thinking about it and just playing ball.  I think it was the day of the deadline, and I got a message from him on Twitter that I still have on my phone, and he was like, ‘Hey, did you just get traded?’ And I was like, ‘No, not that I know of.  Why, what’s up?’  And he’s like, ‘OK, it’s always for the best either way.’  It obviously worked out for him, and he’s doing really well.  I’m happy to see that.  I really don’t want to face him right now.”

Ashmore: It’s starting to approach that time of year again…does the thought of a trade pop up in your mind at all?

Brown: “No, I think going through it…it’s kind of like the draft.  I went through the draft in high school, so the second time I was really more around of what goes on and I was more mature about it.  I think it’s the same way with the trade deadline.  Last year, I wasn’t really sure of what to expect or what was going on, and I was kind of nervous.  This time around, I can kind of see that it’s not a bad thing and it’s not anything to get down on or anything.  It’s something that just happens.  We all play baseball, and everyone wants a job and there are a lot of jobs on other teams.  It’s not the worst thing.”

Ashmore: We talked about power being a standout tool at the Futures Game before, but speed seems to be the tool that everyone knows you for.  Was there a point in your life or your career when you realized you were faster than the other guys?

Brown: “Luckily, I guess I’ve been blessed since I was young.  Both my parents were fast, and I was an outdoors kid, always running around.  Most of my life, I’ve been able to run a little bit and it’s definitely been a part of my game my whole life.”

Ashmore: How difficult has it been to apply that speed properly in baseball?  There’s a difference between just having pure speed and being able to utilize it well…

Brown: “I’m still learning.  Baseball is a game of adjustments, and each level is different.  Each place you go, you’ve got to make your adjustments and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Ashmore: What kind of adjustments?

Brown: “Really just staying calm on the bases.  It’s different.  With starting blocks in track, you know the buzzer is going to sound sometime soon.  With baseball, you don’t know when the pitcher is going to lift his leg…he can hold it, he can pick over.  It’s not just going one way.  You really have to stay calm, and that’s something I’m working on.”

Ashmore: It would be hard for anyone to match the season you put up last year…are you satisfied with the way things have been going at Double-A this year?

Brown: “No, I don’t think anyone would be satisfied.  But there’s a point where you’ve got to realize it’s a job and you still have to show up every day and you’ve got to be patient.  Just like in life, things may not working out the way you want them to be, but you’ve still got to wake up and go to work, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Ashmore: Is there any sort of goal you’ve set that you’d want to reach by the end of this season?

Brown: “I just want to feel good.  I just want to get in a good rhythm and mechanically, I’ve been off.  I’m trying to work on that.”

Ashmore: I’m sure you’ve seen all the rankings and books that have you as the top prospect in the Giants organization…I guess for a lack of a better way of putting it, does any of that matter to you?

Brown: “I don’t necessarily care, because that’s someone else’s opinion, I didn’t say that.  As far as I’m concerned, I want to be happy with where I am.  Right now, it’s not where I want to be.  Like I said, it’s work to get to where I want to be.  That’s just a tribute to the good year and how I felt last year, and I want to get back to that.”

Ashmore: Do you feel like you’re on the right track in terms of being able to turn things around this year?

Brown: “Oh yeah, definitely.  I think it’ll be coming here soon.”

Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com