I have set up a Bracket Challenge for the NCAA Tournament for the website. No cash prize, but if you win you get a PDF version of the 2012 Prospect Guide. If you already have one, then play for bragging rights! If you want to play, click here. The bracket is public, so anyone can join and there is no password needed (unless I totally screwed something up).
Here is how the prospects performed in the weekend games:
Saturday
- Chris Valiaka went 0-0 with a sac fly.
- Didi Gregorius went 0-1.
- Donald Lutz went 0-1.
- Kristopher Negron went 0-2.
- Todd Frazier went 0-2 with an RBI.
- Neftali Soto went 0-2.
- Daryl Jones went 0-2.
- Denis Phipps went 2-2 with a run.
- Zack Cozart went 1-3 with a run.
- Henry Rodriguez went 0-1.
- Brian Esposito went 0-1.
- Kyle Lotzkar threw a hitless and scoreless inning with a walk and 2 strikeouts.
- Donnie Joseph threw a scoreless inning with a walk and 2 strikeouts.
Sunday
- Henry Rodriguez went 0-2.
- Zack Cozart went 1-2.
- Todd Frazier went 0-1 with a run.
- Donald Lutz went 1-2 with an RBI and a run.
- Devin Mesoraco went 1-2 with a double.
- Denis Phipps went 0-2.
- Daryl Jones went 1-2.
There were a plethora of Reds prospect related articles written between Friday afternoon and Sunday evening, so here is a rundown:
John Fay suggests that the Reds might have the best talent in the last 10 years right now. I would strongly disagree with him, but I can understand why he would think so. The Reds do have a lot of guys in that AA/AAA/MLB area who should all at least be usable Major Leaguers and when you have 10-15 guys like that, it sticks out.
Didi Gregorius is one of the guys talked about in the above article and he has been getting a lot of attention so far this spring. Barry Larkin had this to say:
“He’s a monster,” Larkin said. “He’s grown. He’s absolutely impressive. He works his tail off, smart kid. He’s really going to be something.”
Dusty Baker also keeps praising him anytime that someone asks about him. He had plenty to say about him to John Fay over the weekend. Go check out some of the highlights.
Hal McCoy jumped into the Didi Gregorius article explosion and also looked at how Barry Larkin has worked with him. Later in the article he also has some tidbits on Donald Lutz:
Lutz and Gregorius hang out a lot. On the bench, in the clubhouse, and I’m really impressed with him. He hasn’t played a lot, but his baseball IQ is better than some who have played a lot. He’s still raw, but he is coming very quickly.
Todd Frazier is trying a new plate approach so far this spring.
“I came into camp with the understanding that I have to hit to play. I’m trying to get that first fastball, and I am trying to drive it. If not, I’ll spit on it and not swing and live to see another day. I’ve had three or four at-bats where I’ve swung at the first pitch and put it into play and got a couple of hits out of it.”
I am not the biggest fan of someone trying to be more aggressive, just for the sake of “hitting”, but as long as you are swinging at good pitches, then it is a plan that I can get behind. Don’t look at pitches you can hit and don’t swing at ones you can’t hit with authority. It is a good philosophy to work with.
Mark Sheldon has an article up on the “pre-spring training” conditioning camp for a select group of minor leaguers. It is just another part of the “development” for these guys, but it this might be one of the underrated or overlooked things that some people don’t know about that could help and make a legitimate difference for a player.