Daily Clips
October 12, 2017
NATIONAL
Prospects worth checking out in the Arizona Fall League
October 10, 2017 By Keith Law/ESPN.com
http://www.espn.com/blog/keith-law/insider/post?id=7717
Former Twins’ Catcher Speaks of Catholic World Series Double
Sal Butera, father of KC Royals’ Drew Butera, conveys the importance of the Church.
October 11, 2017 By Trent Beattie/National Catholic Register
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/former-twins-catcher-speaks-of-catholic-world-series-double
MLB TRANSACTIONS
October 12, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions
NATIONAL
Prospects worth checking out in the Arizona Fall League
October 10, 2017 By Keith Law/ESPN.com
http://www.espn.com/blog/keith-law/insider/post?id=7717
The Arizona Fall League kicks off its 26th season on Tuesday, with the six rosters typically full of top hitting prospects from around the minors and a smattering of pitching prospects here to catch up on lost innings. It's one of the best scouting opportunities of the year, and I'll be out there for week one, seeing every club at least twice and filing a couple of reports for Insiders as I make my way around the league. The rosters have already changed a bit since they were first released in August and might still look different before the games begin, but here's a glance at the most notable names on each of the six teams going into Opening Day.
Glendale: The Desert Dogs feature two top-10 overall prospects in Cleveland Indians catcher Francisco Mejia (No. 6 in my midseason top 50) and Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller (No. 10). The roster also includes a pair of former first-round picks who haven't developed as hoped in Pittsburgh shortstop Cole Tucker, who has been slowed by shoulder surgery but was throwing well when I saw him in August, and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Cornelius Randolph, the 10th overall pick in 2015 whose best tool was his bat but who hasn't shown the kind of averages or contact rates expected of him. Outfielder DJ Peters, the Dodgers' fourth-round pick in 2016, earns a ton of Jayson Werth comparisons for his game, his build and even his hair, with walks, power and an exorbitant strikeout rate in high-A.
Mesa: The best prospect on the Mesa roster isn't here, as Washington's Victor Robles is otherwise occupied by the postseason at the moment. That leaves Houston's Kyle Tucker (No. 16 overall midseason) as the team's best active prospect, and he is joined by fellow Astros prospect Yordan Alvarez, a Cuban defector acquired from the Dodgers in the summer of 2016 for reliever Josh Fields. The A's have two intriguing prospects on the Mesa roster in right-hander Logan Shore, a command/control guy who had a solid year in the tough California League, and catcher Sean Murphy, their third-rounder in 2016, who threw out a third of opposing runners this year and hit well in High-A before struggling in Double-A in the second half. Also here from Oakland's system is Cuban right-hander Norge Ruiz, signed over the winter for $2 million. He made just eight underwhelming starts in high-A in July and August this summer.
Peoria: This is the must-see team of the six, as it is loaded with talent, notably Atlanta Braves prospects, as well as a number of former first-rounders trying to prove their value. Ronald Acuna (No. 9 overall midseason) is the team's best prospect and is likely to spend most of 2018 with the big league club. He is joined here by left-hander Max Fried and right-hander Touki Toussaint, both former first-rounders. Fried reached the majors this year, and Toussaint had a modest breakout season between high-A and Double-A, cutting his walk rate and boosting his strikeout rate even with a midyear promotion. The Padres boast one of the minors' best farm systems but have sent only one of their best prospects, the little but fierce middle infielder Luis Urias, who posts high batting averages and contact rates without power everywhere he plays. The Javelinas also include former first-rounders outfielder Kyle Lewis (Mariners), finally back from the torn ACL he suffered last summer; right-hander T.J. Zeuch (Blue Jays), who was essentially done after May 27th, making only rehab starts around back and hamstring injuries; and third baseman Michael Chavis (Red Sox), who had a huge year between high-A and Double-A, with 31 homers and a much higher contact rate after struggling through injuries in 2016.
Salt River: The Rafters are loaded with Brewers prospects but not a ton from other organizations. Their 2016 first-rounder, Corey Ray, who had a very disappointing season while coming back from the torn meniscus he suffered in instructional league, will be here, along with second-round pick Lucas Erceg, who struggled this year with a .307 OBP in high-A. Those two will be joined by the Brewers' sandwich and second-round picks from 2014, outfielders Jake Gatewood and Monte Harrison, both of whom had breakout years at age 21 -- Gatewood in high-A and Double-A and Harrison in low- and high-A. The Brewers send the team's best arm, right-hander Adrian Houser, who pitched in the AFL in 2015 but had Tommy John surgery in July 2016 and came back at the tail end of this season. In the non-Brewers part of the roster, the Orioles sent infielder Ryan Mountcastle and hard-throwing lefty Tanner Scott, who are probably the two most interesting guys not from Milwaukee.
Scottsdale: Pitching is generally in short supply in the AFL, so the Scottsdale roster's inclusion of three fairly strong starting pitching prospects is a welcome development. Tyler Beede of the Giants and the Yankees' Dillon Tate and Justus Sheffield should all be among the league's best starters. Beede and Sheffield missed time this year due to injuries, while Tate re-established his prospect status with a restored delivery and better velocity than he had last summer when the Yanks acquired him from Texas. Among hitters here, the Yanks sent toolsy outfielder Estevan Florial, who has huge upside and even huger swing-and-miss issues, while the Giants sent outfielder Steven Duggar, who missed almost four months with a flexor strain and hip injury that probably prevented him from making his major league debut. The Angels sent 2016 first-rounder Matt Thaiss, a former catcher at the University of Virginia who is now at first base and hit a combined .274/.375/.395 between high-A and Double-A in his full-season debut.
Surprise: The Cardinals provide the Saguaros with their two most intriguing arms in Sandy Alcantara and Jordan Hicks, both of whom have hit 100 mph as starters, with Hicks finishing the year on an absolute tear on which he allowed runs in just one of his final nine appearances covering 35 innings (three runs, eight walks, 41 K’s). Alcantara got a cup of coffee in the Cardinals' bullpen but still has starter upside, with a fair amount of work to do on repeating his delivery. St. Louis also sends the revenant prospect Oscar Mercado, who flopped at shortstop but thrived this year as an outfielder, mostly playing center but also performing at the plate for the first time since he was drafted in 2013. Other players of note on Surprise include Minnesota lefty Tyler Jay, the sixth overall pick in 2015 who missed nearly all of this season due to thoracic outlet syndrome; Royals shortstop Nicky Lopez, the team's fifth-round pick in 2016, a high-contact hitter with speed and some defensive potential at short and second; and Texas shortstop Josh Morgan, who is listed as a catcher here after playing 36 games behind the plate this season for High-A Down East.
Former Twins’ Catcher Speaks of Catholic World Series Double
Sal Butera, father of KC Royals’ Drew Butera, conveys the importance of the Church.
October 11, 2017 By Trent Beattie/National Catholic Register
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/former-twins-catcher-speaks-of-catholic-world-series-double
Not many baseball players can say they’ve won a World Series. Even fewer can say their sons have also won a World Series. However, Sal Butera is in that very small second group. His own season-ending victory came in 1987 with the Minnesota Twins, and his son Drew’s came in 2015 with the Kansas City Royals.
While the elder Butera has passed along many valuable baseball lessons to his son, the most important ones are related to being Catholic. In an uncertain world, both men find that being part of the Body of Christ provides reassurance that nothing else can.
Now, Sal Butera works for the Toronto Blue Jays as a scout during the season and an instructor in the offseason. He took time out of his busy schedule to speak of the Twins’ 1987 World Series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Are you doing anything with the Twins to mark the 30th anniversary of your World Series victory?
Many of us got together in August to remember that close series against the Cardinals. There were lots of great things about that and the whole 1987 season, but the one I like the most is the progression of the guys who had been with the Twins in the early ’80s. I started out my own Major League career with them, so to be able to look back and see how Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, Greg Gagne, Tom Brunansky and others had matured from that point is very satisfying. We developed our baseball skills and our camaraderie, which culminated in the ’87 victory.
Do you have any advice for teams as they face off in the World Series?
Well, both teams got there for a reason: They know how to play the game. They’ve endured many failures throughout the season — as even the best teams in baseball do — and they’ve persevered and played well at the right times. I don’t think there’s much I could say to them now that would help them.
Did you give your son, Drew, any advice that helped him and the Royals win the 2015 World Series?
Similar to advising this year’s World Series teams, I can’t really tell Drew much he doesn’t already know, since he’s been a Major Leaguer for years. His World Series win two years ago was his and his team’s, not mine. I was certainly happy for him, but I can’t take any credit for it.
Almost all the advice I gave to Drew was from very early on, when he started playing at age 4 or 5. That’s when you lay the foundation for the future, but you have to do it with joy rather than pressure. Anyone who plays a sport should enjoy it, but this is especially true for young kids. Then once the foundation is laid, it’s up to each athlete to take more and more ownership of his skills and work at perfecting them. That’s what Drew did. He put in the work and earned his way to the Majors.
As a former player yourself and now a scout and instructor, you would know what it takes to make the Majors.
There are many ways to get to the Majors, so it can’t really be put into one specific formula that you have to follow to the letter, but there are some basic qualities anyone would need. Talent, dedication and sacrifice are among the most important things for a player — and for anyone in any walk of life.
Maybe the most important thing in baseball is the humility to accept failure and move forward. One day you’re the star, and the next, you’re the goat, so you’ve got to take both with an almost equal mindset and then deal with the next game. Baseball is not a sprint; it’s a marathon, so whatever happens today shouldn’t ever get you too high or too low.
There are many Catholic catchers (such as your son Drew, Alex Avila, Rene Rivera, Tyler Flowers and Kyle Farmer) in the game today. Do you think being Catholic helps with the humility in baseball to take a position that is often overlooked?
For the average fan, catching might be overlooked, but people close to the game know how important the position is. Catchers have to call pitches and work with lots of different pitchers in all kinds of situations. Catchers end up being a friend, coach, father figure or psychologist, depending on what might be needed at a given time. That versatility requires humility. You have to be willing to set your ego aside and play whatever role the team needs.
Being Catholic certainly helps us get past ourselves and see the bigger picture, which is helpful, not only for catchers, but for all baseball players and all people. Anyone would benefit from being Catholic, right?
It seems there are lots of Catholic baseball scouts, too. Cody Clark (a former catcher), Joe Caro and Carl Loewenstine are three examples. Do you think there’s any reason behind that?
That’s interesting. I know all three of those guys well, and, yes, they’re all Catholic. Maybe you could say that, as Catholics, they’re well-equipped to deal with the stresses of their jobs in ways that they otherwise wouldn’t be.
People might think that as a scout you just get paid to watch baseball games all day, but there is a lot of work involved and a lot of time spent away from family. I work as a scout 10 hours a day, almost every day, for nine months out of the year. That’s in an effort to do as thorough a job as possible in selecting the best players for the Blue Jays.
A scout’s opinion is a highly prized commodity; what you think can determine how the team spends millions of dollars, so you have to be able to not only assess the statistics, but sometimes look beyond them, because they don’t always paint an accurate picture of what a player can do.
Baseball has always had stats, but today it’s unreal what is kept track of. All the stats can make it seem like players are robots that can be programmed, but players are people, and people have mental strengths and weaknesses that can’t be measured. That means a good portion of a scout’s work is assessing intangibles.
With all the uncertainties of baseball, do you find prayer helpful?