Monday, August 27th, 2007
Q: (Angelswin) - Eddie, what can you tell us about Nick Green (10-6, 3.66 ERA & a 1.12 WHIP - 96 K's in 160 IP) who is quietly having a good season after a not so good May/June. Will his fastball be enough to compliment his solid changeup and secondary pitches? 1-6, 3.66 ERA & a 1.12 WHIP - 96 K's in 160 IP
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A: (Eddie Bane) - Nick Green is have a very nice season. He was already on the radar screen though because Scioscia and Butcher will able to see him in spring training. Key is to be more consistent with low strikes. He has plenty of fastball. Not a burner, but up to 93 at times. Chris McAlpin did a great job of finding Green after he was not used much as an amateur.
A: (Eddie Bane) - Nick Green is have a very nice season. He was already on the radar screen though because Scioscia and Butcher will able to see him in spring training. Key is to be more consistent with low strikes. He has plenty of fastball. Not a burner, but up to 93 at times. Chris McAlpin did a great job of finding Green after he was not used much as an amateur.
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Q: (Angelswin) - Baseball America recently listed the top ten prospects at each position plus the top five relief prospects. The Angels only had one player listed in those ninety five names. Did that disappoint you? We had some great drafts in the first few years of the Stoneman regime. What has happened in the past few years? The drafts don't seem to be as productive. I know we have lost some veteran scouts. Is that part of the reason?
Q: (Angelswin) - Baseball America recently listed the top ten prospects at each position plus the top five relief prospects. The Angels only had one player listed in those ninety five names. Did that disappoint you? We had some great drafts in the first few years of the Stoneman regime. What has happened in the past few years? The drafts don't seem to be as productive. I know we have lost some veteran scouts. Is that part of the reason?
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A: (Eddie Bane) - All of us, including scouts, enjoy reading BA and other publications. I am not disappointed at all. I have heard from countless Scouting Directors, asst GM's and other scouts about our Cedar Rapids club. It may be the first time since I have been scouting that we have a legit prospect at every position on the field in addition to at least one pitching prospect every night. Sweeney, Conger, Trumbo and O'Sullivan along with several others don't come along all the time. Nobody in the MW League swings the bat as well as Matt Sweeney with the possible exception of Conger. We consider Conger to be the premier catching prospect in the game right now.
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20 year old Sean O'Sullivan leads the Mid-West League in ERA and is pitching better and better as the season goes on while maintaining his velocity. And, as I have said before we are not going to trade Nick Adenhart for any of the other teams top pitching prospects. We are happy with Nick and they should be happy with their guy.
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Q: (Angelswin) - When Santana went down to Salt Lake Triple-A, did he work on anything specifically in attempts to resolve the issues he had with the major league club?
Q: (Angelswin) - When Santana went down to Salt Lake Triple-A, did he work on anything specifically in attempts to resolve the issues he had with the major league club?
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A: (Eddie Bane) - Ervin is more of a question for our major league people. I will say that at 24 years old Santana has done a lot more at the ML level then most of the so-called prospects who are also 24 years old have done in the minor leagues.
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Q: (Angelswin) - Do the Angels plan on shifting Kendry Morales to a new position? His bat is there and the power has been shown of late, but he's blocked by Kotchman at 1B and Garret Anderson at DH possibly in 2008.
Q: (Angelswin) - Do the Angels plan on shifting Kendry Morales to a new position? His bat is there and the power has been shown of late, but he's blocked by Kotchman at 1B and Garret Anderson at DH possibly in 2008.
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A: (Eddie Bane) - Kendry has really good hands. He also has a strong arm which would help with any position change. BUT, currently we need him at 1B because Casey Kotchman is suffering a tough injury. Morales has hit .300 everywhere he has been in the system, but just lately have we seen in the way above average hitter he will be when he settles in at the big league level. Kendry Morales is going to be an above average major league hitter with power. That is what makes scouting fun.
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Q: (Angelswin) - Warner Madrigal...He is putting some impressive numbers in Single A. What does the future hold for him, and how does the club plan on using him?
Q: (Angelswin) - Warner Madrigal...He is putting some impressive numbers in Single A. What does the future hold for him, and how does the club plan on using him?
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A: (Eddie Bane) - Warner is a special young man that all the people in our minor league side of the business pull hard for. He has been in the organization awhile and did not make it as a hitter, but he has a big fastball and his slider can be out of this world. Once again, consistency will be the key.
A: (Eddie Bane) - Warner is a special young man that all the people in our minor league side of the business pull hard for. He has been in the organization awhile and did not make it as a hitter, but he has a big fastball and his slider can be out of this world. Once again, consistency will be the key.
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Q: (Angelswin) - How much as Brandon progressed this season in AAA and do you guys plan on having him start there again next season as well?
Q: (Angelswin) - How much as Brandon progressed this season in AAA and do you guys plan on having him start there again next season as well?
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A: (Eddie Bane) - I wish we had 100 Brandon Wood's. We would have the best organization of all time. That means in all aspects of the game. Makeup, aptitude, ability, usability are all top of the scale when you are talking about Brandon Wood. He is a winner and will make the organization even that much better when he settles into the major leagues.
A: (Eddie Bane) - I wish we had 100 Brandon Wood's. We would have the best organization of all time. That means in all aspects of the game. Makeup, aptitude, ability, usability are all top of the scale when you are talking about Brandon Wood. He is a winner and will make the organization even that much better when he settles into the major leagues.
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Q: (Angelswin) - Mason Tobin, Trevor Reckling, Michael Anton & outfielder Jeremy Moore. What can you tell us out these 4 youngsters that have made quite an impression in short season A Ball?
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A: (Eddie Bane) - I will say that all scouting departments feel giddy about the guys they signed in the draft and we are no different. Mason Tobin is a RHP signed by Casey Harvie in the northwest. I do not know why the Braves did not sign him, but I am happy they did not. Body reminds of big league star, Kevin Brown. He has that kind of life on his fastball at up to 93-94. He completely dominated in Arizona and has not missed a beat in Orem where he and pitching coach Zeke Zimmerman got his breaking pitch on the same plane as his fastball.
A: (Eddie Bane) - I will say that all scouting departments feel giddy about the guys they signed in the draft and we are no different. Mason Tobin is a RHP signed by Casey Harvie in the northwest. I do not know why the Braves did not sign him, but I am happy they did not. Body reminds of big league star, Kevin Brown. He has that kind of life on his fastball at up to 93-94. He completely dominated in Arizona and has not missed a beat in Orem where he and pitching coach Zeke Zimmerman got his breaking pitch on the same plane as his fastball.
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Treveor Reckling is a HS lefty that we got because of the hard work of Greg Mohrhardt and Mike Silvestri. That being said I would have been extremely unhappy if we did not sign this young man. He has a legit Zito type curve and he is striking out everybody in Arizona. We are happy with Trevor.
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Michael Anton is a lefty that is from the east coast, but was living in Arizona at the time of the draft. John Gracio, our area scout in Arizona, found Mike at a workout and then would not let up on the young man or me until the draft. His relentless scouting is the reason that the Angels got Anton.
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Ever year we try and draft a few athletes and hope they can use their tools. We may have something with Moore. He is playing for Kotchman in Orem and has hit a bunch of homeruns. In addition he can run and looks to be a legit prospect.
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Q: (Angelswin) - Sean O'Sullivan appears to have turned the corner and has just been flat out dominate. What can you tell us about the success O'Sullivan is having of late?
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A: (Eddie Bane) - Sean O'Sullivan is back to the form he showed his jr year in high school when he was ranked as the number one prospect in the county by BA. Fastball is getting to 94 at times and he still has the great feel for changing speeds. He also has plus plus command.
A: (Eddie Bane) - Sean O'Sullivan is back to the form he showed his jr year in high school when he was ranked as the number one prospect in the county by BA. Fastball is getting to 94 at times and he still has the great feel for changing speeds. He also has plus plus command.
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Q: (Angelswin) - With both the Travelers and Bees in 1st place and potentially heading into respective playoffs, how much roster movement if any between teams and from RC do you think might happen?
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A: (Eddie Bane) - Tony will do what he thinks is right, but I like the clubs the way they are setup now. The main focus as always is to have the best players with the Angels so the big league club has the best chance to win.
