Bus Leagues Baseball

Closing Time

Brian — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 15:00:22 +0000

Five years ago last month, Eric and I started Bus Leagues Baseball.

I’ve always remembered the site’s creation as being pretty simple, with a late night Gmail chat about a possible collaboration on minor league baseball inspiring Eric to start a WordPress blog (with a name taken from an expletive-filled line uttered by Crash Davis in the film “Bull Durham”, which always served as our inspiration. The movie, that is, not the language) and add me as an author. That’s one reason why, for the longest time, I always made sure to clarify the issue of paternity – Eric was the father and I was the guy who had been lucky enough to grab on at the very beginning of the ride.

That history isn’t entirely accurate, however. As I looked back through some emails when I started working on this post, I realized that we had exchanged more correspondence than I realized. It was an exciting time, with an exciting idea, and the random stuff that turned up in my email archives shows that we were both pretty pumped at collaborating on something with such promise. Eric started the blog, I jumped on board within a day, and then we basically looked at each other (via email, which was kinda weird) and said, “Okay, what now?”

Five years have passed, and I’m not sure we have ever managed to really answer that question to our satisfaction. Instead, we threw ourselves into the project, headfirst, and just did whatever felt right. It was somewhat slow-going at first – for starters, we kicked things off in friggin’ late September, which baseball savvy readers will probably note is at the END of the minor league season; also, Eric’s college basketball site “Storming the Floor” was still in full swing and I had yet to reach the point where I considered Bus Leagues, not One More Dying Quail, my regular blog – but by 2009 I was devoting a lot of time to just writing about whatever the hell seemed right.

Clueless or not, we’ve had a lot of fun.

Every year, though, I found myself wondering how long I wanted to continue with this. There was always that nagging voice in the back of my head, telling me it wasn’t worth it to keep working so hard on something that was pretty much a vanity project. It made me feel good, earned us some recognition, and helped us get some interesting work on other projects, but never really felt like the kind of thing that was going to blow up into something bigger.

I always managed to push that feeling away – taking it easy over the winters tended to help – but it would just come back the next season and stay even longer than before. It affected my mood and my interactions with people both on and offline, and this year, it never really went away.

So on July 31, I sent Eric an email to let him know that when the season was over and the book was done, so was I. I was Crash Davis after the stint in Asheville that netted him his minor league movie record 247th homerun: “…I’m tired and I don’t wanna think about baseball, and I don’t wanna think about quantum physics, and I don’t wanna think about nothing. I just wanna be.” It may be a bit melodramatic, but I think by this point Eric has come to expect a heaping helping of that from me.

The only question was what to do with the site.

As recently as last year, I figured that when I had finally had enough, we’d just pull the plug and be done with it. Eric was busy with a career that actually paid him something close to a living wage for his words and didn’t have much time to contribute anymore, so I knew that if it came to that, he wouldn’t have much of a problem, and while Mike, Scott, and others had put a lot of work in already, I still viewed the site as mine.

In that year, year and a half, though, everyone put a lot of work into making Bus Leagues a better place. Mike not only contributed on the writing side (even after heading off to Afghanistan for a year), he also handled a lot of behind the scenes, technical stuff that Eric and I never had the knowledge or patience to deal with. He led the push to make the site more physically attractive and easily navigable, and if we butted heads on a lot of things, I think the end results were often worth it. Bus Leagues ultimately improved in many ways.

Scott, meanwhile, emerged as our workhorse. At some point last spring, I approached him with the idea of producing daily content. I’d tried to do it myself, more than once, and had finally come to grips with the idea that it was not something of which I was capable. But Scott was. From April 5 to September 16, he was there almost every morning with a recap of the best stories from the previous day. He took what I asked him to do, no matter what it was, and ran like hell with it.

So yeah, the effort displayed by those two guys in particular complicated things (I would recommend either of them for any writing job, in a heartbeat), and I haven’t even mentioned Chris, Trish, Jessica, Tamara, Andrew, Will, Phil, and Eric Marinbach (I hope I’m not forgetting anyone), all of whom contributed to varying degrees over the past few years.

Still, while we had to consider the feelings of everyone involved, the truth of the matter was that Bus Leagues still belonged to Eric and I. We talked briefly about ceding editorial control of the site to Mike and Scott and fading gently into the background, but we both knew that neither of us would be happy with that. “In my mind, it’s always gonna be our site,” I wrote in an email to Eric, “and I’m not sure how I would feel about someone else being “in charge” of it.”

So that was that. We have the utmost respect for everything Mike and Scott did for us, but in the end, we just couldn’t bear the thought of handing someone else the keys.

I decided to share our decision with the two of them soon after it was made because I didn’t want them to start thinking farther ahead, to next season, only to be disappointed when they learned that there wouldn’t BE a next season for us. We didn’t receive a reply from Scott (I just kind of assumed he was disappointed, but he has never seemed like the type to complain about anything), while Mike made it clear that he was unhappy with the decision. That wasn’t unexpected; while I have had my occasional fits of, “BUS LEAGUES COULD BE THE BEST BASEBALL WEBSITE EVER!” mania, Mike lived in that realm. He always believed that Bus Leagues could be something amazing.

He did offer to buy the site from us, but we turned him down. There might be a price at which we would have considered selling, but as I said to Eric, “I have a sneaking suspicion that it would always be worth just a bit more than he offered.” Again, it ultimately didn’t feel right to put the site in someone else’s hands.

Also, I suppose it should be noted that Mike and I disagreed on a lot of things. Some of his ideas were good ones that I just didn’t come around to right away, if at all, and that’s a failure on my part. But some of them were sort of antithetical to the idea that Bus Leagues, a niche website about a niche sport, wasn’t really designed as a money-making endeavor. In the end, we could never really rationalize those competing points of view. I suppose that also plays a role in this decision – why would we hand over control of the site to Mike, knowing that he would probably move things in a direction with which we didn’t agree but could no longer influence?

Mike is a very smart guy who is good at putting himself out there and getting his work published in various places. If he wants to, I have no doubt that he could put together a solid website on the topic of his choosing and make it successful. I hope someday he has that opportunity, whether through a site that he inherits or one he begins himself. Unfortunately, however, this is not that opportunity.

So there you have it. While our third Bus Leagues Experience compilation will be on the way soon, this is the last post that will appear on the site. I hope it’s not too self-indulgent – the main reason for it is so that when people arrive here in the future, they will know that our shutdown was a conscious decision; it’s an explanation for a ghost town, in a sense.

The site will remain up – we’ve posted some good stuff over the years and I’d like people to be able to make use of it if they can – but our Twitter account will be deleted (I’m sure most, if not all, of us will continue to be active on our personal accounts). Our Facebook page was Mike’s creation and domain. He built it and grew it, and while I don’t like the way it was used several weeks ago to publicly disseminate this news, I had told him that he could continue updating it if he wished and I intend to honor that. It’s up to him if he wants to do so.

Finally, we would like to thank everyone who read, linked, and otherwise supported our work over the past five years. It was always nice to know that people cared, and a positive comment or response always seemed to appear just when we needed it most. I won’t speak for anyone else (really, this whole post should be considered as my point of view; I can’t speak for anyone else, except for those parts where I presumed to speak for Eric), but I know I will miss that.

2012 Bus Leagues postseason awards: Full-Season Player of the Year

Scott — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 13:00:36 +0000

Welcome to awards season at Bus Leagues! Once again, we will have nine to hand out: Full-season, Short-season and Independent League Player, Starter and Reliever of the Year. These players are the best of the best of minor league baseball, except for the short-season starter I forgot to put on the ballot and didn’t realize until it was too late. Voting works like the college football polls. Voters selected five players from a list of 12, with a first place vote being worth five points, a second place vote being worth four and so on. Ties were broken by most first place votes. If neither had a first place vote, I look at who had the most second place votes and that continues down the line. If somehow ties still aren’t broken, I give Brian’s vote extra weight. Players not in the top five will not have ties broken.

The voters in the 4th edition of the Bus Leagues Awards include five experts: Chris Fee, Brian Moynahan and Andrew Rosin of Bus Leagues, Joshua Kummins of Boston Sports U18 and Craig Forde of the Boston Globe. I also voted. Here is a recap of the winners so far:

Indy League RP of the Year: Tom Boleska
Indy League SP of the Year: Jeff Duda
Indy League Player of the Year: Chris Nowak
Short-Season RP of the Year: Nick Sawyer
Short-Season SP of the Year: Taylor Guerrieri
Short-Season Player of the year: Mike Zunino
Full-Season RP of the Year: Matthew Stites
Full-Season SP of the Year: Dylan Bundy

Full-Season Player of the Year

FIRST
SS Billy Hamilton, 21, Bakersfield/Pensacola (Cincinnati A+/AA)
132 PA, 605 PA, 112 R, 22 2B, 45 RBI, 155 SB, .311 BA, .410 OBP, .420 SLG
23 points (2 first place votes)

If it wasn’t for Myers and Ruf putting up disgusting power numbers, Hamilton would have stolen this award (rimshot, please). Seriously though, 155 stolen bases is simply amazing, especially in this day and age when it seems to be a lost art form. Hopefully he doesn’t become another Herb Washington. -Craig

Pure, bad ass American speed. Always warrants a mention. -Andrew

SECOND
OF Wil Myers, 21, Northwest Arkansas/Omaha (Kansas City AA/AAA)
134 G, 591 PA, 98 R, 37 HR, 109 RBI, .314 BA, .387 OBP, .600 SLG
22 points (2 first place votes)

His line of statistics this season are exactly what a Player of the Year’s numbers should look like. -Craig

Inexplicably not in the show. He should have never been on the list. But he destroyed. Just destroyed. -Andrew

THIRD
1B Darin Ruf, 25, Reading (Philadelphia AA)
139 G, 584 PA, 93 R, 38 HR, 104 RBI, 34 2B, .317 BA, .408 OBP, .620 SLG
20 points (2 first place votes)

Higher OBP and Slugging % than Myers, but maybe just not enough flair? I dunno! It’s a tough one, but Ruf did not garner nearly as much hype as Myers heading into the year, so Myers gets the nod for being able to maintain it. -Craig

Not a huge fan of his major league future, but the last two months were ungodly. He should never have to pay for another meal in Reading. Ever. -Andrew

FOURTH
CF Adam Eaton, 23, Mobile/Reno (Arizona AA/AAA)
130 G, 613 PA, 130 R, 7 HR, 48 RBI, 47 2B, 44 SB, .375 BA, .456 OBP, .523 SLG
9 points

An integral part of the Aces’ run to the Triple-A Championship this year, Eaton’s .523 slugging while hitting only seven home runs is eye-popping. Which explains the 130 runs scored, as he just simply put himself in a position to score time-and-time again by taking the extra base whenever possible. -Craig

Were his stats inflated by the league? A little bit. But he’s hit everywhere. And he’s given no reason to believe that he won’t crash the D’Backs lineup. -Andrew

FIFTH
INF Jake Elmore, 25, Reno (Arizona AAA)
108 G, 511 PA, 95 R, 30 2B, 73 RBI, 32 SB, .344 BA, .442 OBP, .465 SLG
4 points

Another OBP guy from Reno that got on and took advantage of any open bases in front of him. -Craig

T-SIXTH
2B Delino DeShields Jr., 19, Lexington/Lancaster (Houston A/A+)
135 G, 637 PA, 113 R, 12 HR, 61 RBI, 101 SB, .287 BA, .389 OBP, .428 SLG
3 points

In the years I put together the ballot for these awards, I’m not sure I ever included a true speed guy – they were never quite good enough in other areas to make it seem reasonable enough. It’s hard to ignore a guy who steals 101 bases, though, especially when he adds 12 homeruns. Also, he’s on my fantasy team. -Brian

After a rough debut in the South Atlantic League in 2011, DeShields went back to Lexington in 2012 and made major improvements. In some ways he was better than Billy Hamilton this year, but just as he was during the season, DeShields will be overshadowed by Hamilton again. -Scott

T-SIXTH
OF Oscar Taveras, 20, Springfield (St. Louis AA)
124 G, 531 PA, 83 R, 23 HR, 94 RBI, 37 2B, .321 BA, .380 OBP, .572 SLG
3 points

Not the toolsy type. But for a 20 year old that skipped the Florida State League? Highly impressive. If he’s not in the top 3? This poll is a FARCE. -Andrew

T-EIGHTH
1B Hunter Morris, 23, Huntsville (Milwaukee AA)
136 G, 571 PA, 77 R, 28 HR, 113 RBI, 40 2B, .303 BA, .357 OBP, .563 SLG
2 points

T-EIGHTH
2B Stefen Romero, 23, High Desert/Jackson (Seattle A+/AA)
116 G, 516 PA, 85 R, 23 HR, 101 RBI, 12 SB, .352 BA, .391 OBP, .599 SLG
2 points

T-EIGHTH
CF George Springer, 22, Lancaster/Corpus Christi (Houston A+/AA)
128 G, 581 PA, 109 R, 24 HR, 87 RBI, 32 SB, .302 BA, .383 OBP, .526 SLG
2 points

T-ELEVENTH
LF Shawn Payne, 22, Augusta/San Jose (San Francisco A/A+)
118 G, 491 PA, 67 R, 20 2B, 59 RBI, 53 SB, .309 BA, .411 OBP, .430 SLG
0 points

T-ELEVENTH
SS Jurickson Profar, 19, Frisco (Texas AA)
126 G, 562 PA, 76 R, 14 HR, 62 RBI, 16 SB, .281 BA, .368 OBP, .452 SLG
0 points

2012 Bus Leagues postseason awards: Full-Season Starter of the Year

Scott — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:01:03 +0000

Full-Season Starter of the Year

FIRST
RHP Dylan Bundy, 19, Delmarva/Frederick/Bowie (Baltimore A/A+/AA)
23 GS, 9-3, 2.08 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 103.2 IP, 67 H, 28 BB, 119 K
21 points (2 first place votes)

You couldn’t turn around without hearing about Bundy this year. As a 19-year-old he rocketed up three levels and pretty much dominated at all of them. Orioles fans even wanted him to pitch down the stretch for Baltimore. His 4.25:1 K-to-walk ratio is pretty nice. After facing him in his pro debut, Red Sox third baseman Danny Valencia told me, “He belongs here.” -Craig

I know someone’s not going to vote him as the pitcher of the year. And that is their prerogative, But they are frauds from the malebolge. Dylan Bundy’s the best of the best. BEST OF THE BEST. -Andrew

SECOND
RHP Jose Fernandez, 19, Greensboro/Jupiter (Miami A/A+)
25 GS, 14-1, 1.75 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 134 IP, 89 H, 35 BB, 158 K
20 points (2 first place votes)

That is to say that Jose Fernandez wasn’t great however. -Andrew

Another 19-year-old who had a spectacular season, albeit with far less pomp and circumstance than Mr. Bundy. That 0.93 WHIP is a thing of beauty. -Craig

THIRD
LHP Tony Cingrani, 22, Bakersfield/Pensacola (Cincinnati A+/AA)
25 GS, 10-4, 1.73 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 146 IP, 98 H, 52 BB, 172 K
15 points (1 first place vote)

This was a year of pitchers going from Class A to the show. Just a shame Cingani’s going to get the Dusty Baker treatment. -Andrew

Cingrani’s hair was on fire in short-season ball after being drafted last year, and no one was able to extinguish it in his first full season. He keeps proving himself at level after level, and he’s now a deserving big leaguer. -Scott

FOURTH
RHP Dan Straily, 23, Midland/Sacramento (Oakland AA/AAA)
25 GS, 9-7, 2.78 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 152 IP, 110 H, 42 BB, 190 K
12 points

A workhorse this year, his 190 strikeouts is what puts him in the top five. -Craig

Punched out a lot of hitters. A lot of hitters. -Andrew

FIFTH
LHP Sean Nolin, 22, Dunedin/New Hampshire (A+/AA)
18 GS, 10-0, 2.04 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 101.1 IP, 81 H, 27 BB, 108 K
9 points (1 first place vote)

I know everyone thinks that wins and losses are meaningless for a pitcher. But a 10-0 season is a 10-0 season no matter how you slice it. To pitch well enough all season long so that you don’t suffer a defeat is pretty damn sharp if you ask me. Oh, his other stats back up his ranking as well, noticeably his striking out 108 over 101.1 innings. -Craig

SIXTH
RHP Tyler Cloyd, 25, Reading/Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia AA/AAA)
26 GS, 15-1, 2.26 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 167 IP, 127 H, 41 BB, 113 K
8 points

Pitched exactly like a minor league veteran should. Very reliable arm on the Phillies farm this year. -Craig

As a Brewer fan, I know the slightly overaged pitcher can turn out valuable. Cloyd outranked some of the other nominees for me. -Andrew

SEVENTH
RHP Nathan Karns, 24, Potomac/Harrisburg (Washington A+/AA)
24 GS, 11-4, 2.17 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 116 IP, 70 H, 47 BB, 148 K
2 points

T-EIGHTH
RHP Hiram Burgos, 24, Brevard County/Huntsville/Nashville (Milwaukee A+/AA/AAA)
27 GS, 10-4, 1.95 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 171 IP, 128 H, 49 BB, 153 K
1 point

T-EIGHTH
RHP Rafael Montero, 21, Savannah/St. Lucie (A/A+)
11-5, 2.36 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 122 IP, 96 H, 19 BB, 110 K
1 point

Montero is an extremely fast riser in the Mets’ system, reaching high-A in 2012 after just signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2011. Although his innings were tightly managed, his rates are just as good as anyone’s this season. -Scott

T-EIGHTH
LHP Adam Morgan, 22, Clearwater/Reading (Philadelphia A+/AA)
26 GS, 8-11, 3.35 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 158.2 IP, 137 H, 39 BB, 169 K
1 point

T-ELEVENTH
RHP Cody Buckel, 20, Myrtle Beach/Frisco (Texas A+/AA)
23 GS, 10-8, 2.49 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 144.2 IP, 105 H, 48 BB, 159 K
0 points

T-ELEVENTH
LHP David Holmberg, 20, Visalia/Mobile (Arizona A+/AA)
27 GS, 11-8, 3.32 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 173.1 IP, 166 H, 37 BB, 153 K
0 points

Please join us Monday for the final award, the Full-Season Player of the Year.

2012 Bus Leagues postseason awards: Full-Season Reliever of the Year

Scott — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 08:55:54 +0000

Full-Season Reliever of the Year

FIRST
RHP Matthew Stites, 22, Fort Wayne (San Diego A)
42 G, 2-0, 13 SV, 0.74 ERA, 0.58 WHIP, 48.2 IP, 25 H, 3 BB, 60 K
25 points (5 first place votes)

Other relievers may have given their teams more innings than Stites, but his 25 hits and three walks allowed over 48.2 innings pitched is enough to drop a jaw or two. -Craig

60 k’s to 3 walks. Good freaking gravy. -Andrew

SECOND
RHP J.J. Hoover, 24, Louisville (Cincinnati AAA)
30 G, 4-0, 13 SV, 1.22 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 37 IP, 15 H, 12 BB, 55 K
15 points

I think I am WHIP-whipped, because his 0.73 WHIP impresses me. -Craig

He’s gonna close a lot of games in his future. -Andrew

THIRD
RHP Bruce Rondon, 21, Lakeland/Erie/Toledo (Detroit A+/AA/AAA)
52 G, 2-1, 29 SV, 1.53 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 53 IP, 32 H, 26 BB, 66 K
10 points

I like a guy who can charge up three levels in a season and not miss a beat. -Craig

The closer role in Detroit’s going to be open. -Andrew

FOURTH
RHP Ben Rowen, 23, Myrtle Beach (Texas A+)
38 G, 5-0, 19 SV, 1.57 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 57.1 IP, 41 H, 3 BB, 52 K
9 points (1 first place vote)

Another reliever whose innings don’t compare to some of the other nominees, but does what a bullpen arm should and that is keep guys off base. -Craig

FIFTH
RHP Michael Olmsted, 25, Salem/Portland (Boston A+/AA)
47 G, 1-4, 19 SV, 1.52 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 59.1 IP, 36 H, 15 BB, 92 K
9 points

Very quietly put together a great season between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland. -Craig

My Darin Ruf vote. Not a prospect, but ridiculous on the mound. -Andrew

SIXTH
RHP Danny Barnes, 22, Dunedin/New Hampshire (Toronto A+/AA)
51 G, 1-3, 34 SV, 1.84 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 53 IP, 39 H, 18 BB, 65 K
6 points

T-SEVENTH
RHP Christian Garcia, 26, Harrisburg/Syracuse (Washington AA/AAA)
45 G, 2-1, 21 SV, 0.86 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 52.1 IP, 31 H, 17 BB, 66 K
5 points

Garcia has taken a long time to get there, but this 2004 3rd rounder finally made his ML debut with Washington in 2012. After the strong season with Harrisburg and Syracuse, he needed just 12.2 innings with the Nationals in September to secure a spot on the playoff roster.

T-SEVENTH
RHP Kevin Quackenbush, 23, Lake Elsinore (San Diego A+)
52 G, 3-2, 27 SV, 0.94 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 57.2 IP, 42 H, 22 BB, 70 K
5 points

Quackenbush made the ballot as a reliever last year, and while his strikeouts per nine declined to merely human levels, I still find him fascinating. Maybe it’s the name. Maybe it’s the saves. Maybe it’s the fact that between him, Brad Brach, and Matt Stites, the Padres have shown a remarkable ability to develop pitchers who are awesome minor league closers that project as major league middle relievers. Maybe it’s all of that. I don’t know. But he’s got my vote. -Brian

NINTH
RHP A.J. Ramos, 25, Jacksonville (Miami AA)
55 G, 3-3, 21 SV, 1.44 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 68.2 IP, 36 H, 21 BB, 89 K
4 points

Like Garcia, Ramos reached the majors for the first time in September 2012, and he held his own in a limited amount of innings. With 74 minor league saves over the last three seasons, he’s been one of the most accomplished closers in the minors this year. -Scott

TENTH
LHP Donnie Joseph, 24, Pensacola/Louisville, Omaha (Cincinnati AA/AAA, Kansas City AAA)
55 G, 9-3, 20 SV, 2.33 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 69.2 IP, 56 H, 30 BB, 87 K
2 points

He’s not going to grow up to be a mere LOOGY. -Andrew

T-ELEVENTH
LHP Eric Eadington, 24, Great Lakes/Rancho Cucamonga/Chattanooga (Los Angeles A+/AA/AAA)
55 G, 4-3, 26 SV, 3.63 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 67 IP, 65 H, 20 BB, 77 K
0 points

T-ELEVENTH
RHP Justin Friend, 26, Reading/Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia AA/AAA)
50 G, 4-1, 25 SV, 1.33 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 54 IP, 45 H, 18 BB, 54 K
0 points

Please join us tomorrow for the full-season Starter of the Year.

2012 Bus Leagues postseason awards: Short-Season Player of the Year

Scott — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:56:11 +0000

Indy League RP of the Year: Tom Boleska
Indy League SP of the Year: Jeff Duda
Indy League Player of the Year: Chris Nowak
Short-Season RP of the Year: Nick Sawyer
Short-Season SP of the Year: Taylor Guerrieri

Short-Season Player of the Year

FIRST
C Mike Zunino, 21, Everett (Seattle A-)
29 G, 133 PA, 29 R, 10 HR, 35 RBI, 10 2B, .373 BA, .474 OBP, .736 SLG
19 points (2 first place votes)

There were a lot of Florida Gators drafted and playing in the short seasons this year and none stood taller than the Mariners catcher of the future. -Craig

How far ahead of the Short season leagues was he? He went to AA and didn’t skip a beat. -Andrew

SECOND
3B Joey Gallo, 18, Arizona Rangers/Spokane (Texas R/A-)
59 G, 260 PA, 53 R, 22 HR, 52 RBI, .272 BA, .412 OBP, .660 SLG
16 points (1 first place vote)

That is a TON of power and production from an 18-year-old…just remarkable numbers. -Craig

How far ahead of the Short season curve was Mike Zunino? Gallo hits 22 homers and I didn’t rank him first. -Andrew

THIRD
CF Andrew Aplin, 21, Tri-City (NY) (Houston A-)
44 G, 196 PA, 38 R, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 20 SB, .348 BA, .441 OBP, .537 SLG
13 points (2 first place votes)

Something about watching this guy swing the bat that makes you think he is destined for bigger and better things. -Craig

FOURTH
1B Saxon Butler, 22, Staten Island (Yankees A-)
36 G, 162 PA, 29 R, 10 HR, 35 RBI, .296 BA, .370 OBP, .620 SLG
11 points (1 first place vote)

This is all I have to say about Saxon Butler: he tied for the league lead in homeruns despite being promoted to Charleston on August 1 and not even playing in a short season league for the last month of the season. Maybe it was just a fluke run by a low draft pick, maybe not, but it sure was dominant. -Brian

FIFTH
SS Addison Russell, 18, Arizona Athletics/Vermont (Oakland R/A-)
39 G, 178 PA, 38 R, 7 HR, 36 RBI, 11 SB, .390 BA, .452 OBP, .648 SLG, 1.100 OPS
9 points

I always think of Addison as a girl’s name, even though the three that I can think of offhand are all guys. (I’m pretty sure Bill Simmons has an All-Star team for names like this.) Russell didn’t stay in short-season long, but that’s only because like Butler and Aplin, he proved he didn’t belong there – which is pretty freaking impressive for an 18-year-old kid. -Brian

While his destination in the infield is still up for debate, it’s clear that he really, really hit in his pro debut. In just 55 games, he nearly had double digit doubles, triples and home runs, and he was an efficient and effective basestealer. Oakland drafted him sooner than most expected, but he showed why. -Scott

SIXTH
CF David Dahl, 18, Grand Junction (Colorado R+)
67 G, 306 PA, 62 R, 9 HR, 57 RBI, 41 XBH, 12 SB, .379 BA, .423 OBP, .625 SLG
8 points

The Pioneer League is slanted toward hitting, but it’s obvious that Dahl’s pro debut was very successful. He hit in 27 straight games for the new affiliate in Grand Junction, and the Rockies hope he can help rebuild a team coming off their worst season in franchise history. -Scott

SEVENTH
1B Dan Vogelbach, 19, Arizona Cubs/Boise (Cubs R/A-)
61 G, 283 PA, 39 R, 17 HR, 62 RBI, 21 2B, .322 BA, .410 OBP, .641 SLG
6 points

Mashed a lot of homers and a bunch of doubles. -Andrew

Fans on Twitter seem to love Vogelbach a lot, and he certainly impressed after finally making his pro debut this year. While he may have a tough time staying in the field, he has big power and has a chance of hitting his way to the bigs. -Scott

T-EIGHTH
SS Dorssys Paulino, 17, Arizona Indians/Mahoning Valley (Cleveland R/A-)
56 G, 250 PA, 47 R, 7 HR, 38 RBI, 11 SB, .333 BA, .380 OBP, .558 SLG
4 points

One year younger than Gallo and one slot below him, but just making it to Low-A at the tender age of 17 is a feat that stats simply do not relay. -Craig

Youth, spelling his name with a lot of s’s, he’s the total package. -Andrew

T-EIGHTH
CF Jeremias Pineda, 21, GCL Red Sox, GCL Twins (Boston R, Minnesota R)
52 G, 208 PA, 28 R, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 23 SB, .365 BA, .406 OBP, .469 SLG
4 points

Maintained his top-notch Rookie-league numbers despite being traded to the Twins during the season. -Craig

Great bit of hitting this season. -Andrew

T-TENTH
1B Wade Hinkle, 22, Orem (Anaheim R+)
72 G, 325 PA, 62 R, 15 HR, 57 RBI, 21 2B, .338 BA, .443 OBP, .586 SLG
0 points

T-TENTH
OF Max Kepler, 19, Elizabethton (Minnesota R+)
59 G, 269 PA, 40 R, 10 HR, 49 RBI, 7 SB, .297 BA, .387 OBP, .539 SLG
0 points

T-TENTH
3B Patrick Kivlehan, 22, Everett (Seattle A-)
72 G, 316 PA, 46 R, 12 HR, 52 RBI, 14 SB, .301 BA, .373 OBP, .511 SLG
0 points

Please join us tomorrow for the full-season Reliever of the Year.

2012 Bus Leagues postseason awards: Short-Season Starter of the Year

Scott — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:09:12 +0000

Indy League RP of the Year: Tom Boleska
Indy League SP of the Year: Jeff Duda
Indy League Player of the Year: Chris Nowak
Short-Season RP of the Year: Nick Sawyer

I have to apologize for a mistake on the ballot for today. Going through the leagues picking out the players to include, I completely missed Twins’ pitcher J.O. Berrios. I could make excuses for why I missed him, but the fact is he wasn’t on there which was a mistake. He was quite clearly one of the best pitchers in the short-season leagues this year and had a chance of winning had I been more diligent.

Short-Season Starter of the Year

FIRST
RHP Taylor Guerrieri, 19, Hudson Valley (Tampa Bay A-)
12 GS, 1-2, 1.04 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 52 IP, 35 H, 5 BB, 45 K
17 points (2 first place votes)

Hudson Valley pitching coach Kyle Snyder referred to his talented crop of young arms as “Intelligent kids who go about their business the right way every single day.” Maybe none more so than the 19-year-old Guerrieri who lived up to his hype. And five walks over 52 innings is just stupid! -Craig

It took a while for him to finally make his pro debut, but Guerrieri certainly met expectations. I expect to see him on top 100 prospect lists this off-season as he gets ready to head to full-season ball. -Scott

SECOND
RHP Javier Avendano, 21, Vancouver (Toronto A-)
14 GS, 8-1, 1.27 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 78 IP, 53 H, 25 BB, 91 K
16 points (1 first place vote)

Great year. -Andrew

The minor league rule 5 draft hardly ever garners any attention, but that’s how Toronto acquired Avendano from the St. Louis organization before the 2012 season. His great year was a driving force behind Vancouver winning their second straight Northwest League title. -Scott

THIRD
RHP Hansel Robles, 21, Brooklyn (Mets A-)
12 GS, 6-1, 1.11 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 72.2 IP, 47 H, 10 BB, 66 K
11 points (1 first place vote, 1 second place vote)

The New York-Penn League was loaded with pitching talent this season and the Brooklyn Cyclones were proof of that. Robles, like Guerrieri, managed to outshine his fellow gun slingers, although not by too much. -Craig

Seriously. Insanely good year in Park Slope. -Andrew

FOURTH
RHP C.J. Edwards, 20, Arizona Rangers/Spokane (Texas R/A-)
13 GS, 5-3, 1.48 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 67 IP, 32 H, 25 BB, 85 K
11 points (1 first place vote)

Made the leap to Low-A and continued on, striking 85 and laying down a 0.85 WHIP in 67 innings…very smooth. -Craig

Edwards was quite the find for Texas as a 48th rounder from the 2011 draft. After he didn’t allow a single run in 20 complex league innings in Arizona, he was promoted to the Northwest League and really didn’t skip a beat. Add him to the list of impressive Rangers arms. -Scott

FIFTH
RHP Gabriel Ynoa, 19, Brooklyn (Mets A-)
13 GS, 5-2, 2.23 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 76.2 IP, 61 H, 10 BB, 64 K
10 points (1 second place vote, 2 third place votes)

Not too far behind Robles was young Gabriel Ynoa who once again brings forth that always beautiful sub—1.00 WHIP. -Craig

Brooklyn had a ridiculous amount of pitching. -Andrew

SIXTH
RHP Taylor Cole, 22, Vancouver (Toronto A-)
11 GS, 6-0, 0.81 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 66.1 IP, 36 H, 17 BB, 57 K
10 points (1 second place vote, 1 third place vote)

Sure, he’s a little old for the level, especially since he was repeating it, but you have to appreciate the improvement he made over 2011. Also, am I the only one who sees that a player in the minors is from Vegas and wonders if he secretly grumbles to himself about the fact that Bryce Harper is already in the major leagues? I probably am. -Brian

Along with Avendano, Cole was a huge part of Vancouver’s 2012 championship. After his struggles in the Northwest League last year, he did a great job throwing more strikes and keeping batters off the basepaths. -Scott

SEVENTH
RHP Luis Mateo, 22, Brooklyn (Mets A-)
12 GS, 4-5, 2.45 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 73.1 IP, 57 H, 9 BB, 85 K
6 points (1 first place vote)

Why not include all of the Cyclones hurlers…they deserve it. -Craig

Simply, the best statistical short season pitcher of 2012. -Andrew

EIGHTH
RHP Silfredo Garcia, 20, GCL Cardinals/Johnson City (St. Louis R/R+)
11 GS, 6-2, 2.44 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 66.1 IP, 50 H, 4 BB, 72 K
4 points

In his first year playing stateside ball, Garcia mowed down the Gulf Coast League before continuing his momentum with Batavia. With only four walks in 66.1 innings, he showed some of the best control in the minors in 2012. -Scott

NINTH
LHP Alexander Claudio, 20, Arizona Rangers (Texas R)
14 G (3 GS) 4-0, 1.79 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 45.1 IP, 36 H, 5 BB, 54 K
3 points

TENTH
LHP Sam Selman, 21, Idaho Falls (Kansas City R+)
12 GS, 5-4, 2.09 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 60.1 IP, 45 H, 22 BB, 89 K
2 points

A killer lefty in Idaho. -Andrew

T-ELEVENTH
RHP Miguel Almonte, 19, Arizona Royals (Kansas City R)
6 G (2 GS) 2-1, 2.33 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 27 IP, 22 H, 5 BB, 28 K
0 points

T-ELEVENTH
LHP Luis Merejo, 17, GCL Braves (Atlanta R)
8 GS, 0-5, 4.61 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 41 IP, 38 H, 9 BB, 53 K
0 points

Please join us tomorrow for the short-season Player of the Year.

2012 Bus Leagues postseason awards: Short-Season Reliever of the Year

Scott — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 12:56:41 +0000

The voters in the 4th edition of the Bus Leagues Awards include four experts: Chris Fee, Brian Moynahan and Andrew Rosin of Bus Leagues, Joshua Kummins of Boston Sports U18 and Craig Forde of the Boston Globe. I also voted. Here is a recap of the winners so far:

Indy League RP of the Year: Tom Boleska
Indy League SP of the Year: Jeff Duda
Indy League Player of the Year: Chris Nowak

Short-Season Reliever of the Year

FIRST
RHP Nick Sawyer, 20, GCL Rays/Princeton (Tampa Bay R/R+)
18 G, 5 SV, 3-1, 0.31 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 29 IP, 9 H, 12 BB, 56 K
21 points (3 first place votes)

A modern day warrior with mean, mean stuff…ok, ok, I’ll stop with the puns, but filling these things out makes me a little crazy at times. Sawyer put up some beastly numbers, especially the 0.31 ERA and 56 Ks. -Craig

With the way the Rays develop people? He’ll be awesome in 2017. -Andrew

SECOND
LHP Lee Stoppelman, 22, Batavia (St. Louis A-)
22 G, 7 SV, 2-1, 0.79 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 34.1 IP, 23 H, 7 BB, 49 K
20 points (2 first place votes)

OK, there are many reasons why he is the number one choice here. First and foremost are the numbers: 0.79 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 49 Ks in 34 1/3 innings. Second is that he is a left-hander, which is always a big thing coming out of the pen. He could break that LOOGY stereotype with this type of pitching. The final thing is that his last name is Stoppleman…I mean, c’mon now, it’s a perfect reliever name. Only other better last names would have been Outsburger or Save’mall. -Craig

STOPPLEMAN! -Andrew

THIRD
RHP Roman Madrid, 21, Eugene (San Diego A-)
31 G, 13 SV, 7-0, 2.89 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 37.1 IP, 26 H, 11 BB, 44 K
10 points (1 first place vote)

The Padres are hoping that Madrid remains beautiful in the summer for many years to come. -Craig

FOURTH
RHP Dakota Bacus, 21, Arizona Athletics (Oakland R)
18 G, 7 SV, 3-0, 1.20 ERA, 0.57 WHIP, 30 IP, 12 H, 5 BB, 35 K
9 points (0 third place votes)

Like the name, LOVE the numbers. -Craig

While Sean Manaea is going to put Indiana State on the map in the 2013 draft, Dakota Bacus had a strong performance there in 2012 before dominating the Arizona League for the A’s. -Scott

FIFTH
RHP Jeffrey Wendelken, 19, GCL Red Sox (Boston R)
13 G, 2 SV, 2-0, 1.27 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, 21.1 IP 11 H, 3 BB, 28 K
8 points

The only thing keeping him from being my first choice is the small sample size…maybe if he changed his last name to WHIPleken. -Craig

He only had 21.1 innings in the Gulf Coast League, but they were impressive. Who knows if he would be able to keep it up over more innings, but a K/BB ratio over 9.00 is tough to beat. -Scott

SIXTH
RHP Jose Valdez, 21, GCL Tigers (Detroit R)
23 G, 15 SV, 0-1, 0.82 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 22 IP, 15 H, 10 BB, 28 K
7 points (1 third place vote)
SEVENTH
RHP Nick Wittgren, 21, Jamestown (Miami A-)
17 G, 11 SV, 0-2, 1.46 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 24.2 IP, 24 H, 4 BB, 34 K
5 points

EIGHTH
RHP Jordan Jankowski, 23, Greeneville (Houston R+)
23 G, 4 SV, 4-0, 2.23 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 32.1 IP 25 H, 10 BB, 53 K
4 points

T-NINTH
RHP Ross Stripling, 22, Ogden (Los Angeles A+)
14 G, 0 SV, 1-0, 1.24 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 36.1 IP, 26 H, 6 BB, 37 K
3 points

STRIPLING! -Andrew

T-NINTH
RHP Ronnie Shaban, 22, Johnson City (St. Louis R+)
20 G, 16 SV, 3.05 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 20.2 IP, 19 H, 7 BB, 31 K
3 points points

T-ELEVENTH
RHP Tyler Mizenko, 22, Salem-Keizer (San Francisco A-)
24 G, 13 SV, 3-0, 1.99 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 31.2 IP, 27 H, 5 BB, 29 K
0 points

T-ELEVENTHTH
RHP Justin Thompson, 22, Missoula (Arizona R+)
25 G, 8 SV, 2-2, 1.69 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 32 IP, 23 H, 10 BB, 47 K
0 points

Please come back Monday for our short-season SP of the Year.

2012 Bus Leagues postseason awards: Independent Leagues Player of the Year

Scott — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 19:42:23 +0000

The voters in the 4th edition of the Bus Leagues Awards include four experts: Chris Fee, Brian Moynahan and Andrew Rosin of Bus Leagues and Craig Forde of the Boston Globe. I also voted. Here is a recap of the winners so far:

Indy League RP of the Year: Tom Boleska
Indy League SP of the Year: Jeff Duda

Independent League Player of the Year

FIRST
Chris Nowak, 29, York (Atlantic League)
118 G, 427 AB, .286 BA, 32 HR, 97 RBI, 74 RS, .386/.571/.958
13 points (1 first place vote, 3rd on Brian’s ballot)

There were a few guys who hit a lot of homeruns in independent ball this season, but I liked that Nowak hit for a decent average and stole a few bases to go with his power numbers. -Brian

This former Devil Rays farmhand is a surprisingly adept base stealer for a player who has spent most of his career at first base. -Scott

SECOND
Chad Cregar, 25, Windy City (Frontier League)
96 G, 374 AB, .291 BA, 31 HR, 93 RBI, 64 RS, .363/.599/.962
13 points (1 first place vote, 4th on Brian’s ballot)

Did I really just vote the lead single of Nickelback as the best player in Indy ball this year? Hmmmmm -Craig

The lead singer of Nickelback AND he plays baseball too… quite the talent. -Chris

THIRD
Blake Gailen, 27, Lancaster (Atlantic League)
123 G, 462 AB, .338 BA, 21 HR, 83 RBI, 84 RS, 23 SB, .416/.541/.957
12 points (1 first place vote)

Gailen used to pitch and hit early in his Indy League career, and 2012 was his best season yet. He set a career high in homers and steals with a 20-20 season. -Scott

FOURTH
Angel Berroa, 32, New Jersey (Canadian-American Association)
88 G, 342 AB, .310 BA, 18 HR, 62 RBI, 63 RS, .398/.544/.942
8 points

Most shocking thing – Berroa is playing in Indy ball or that he is somehow only 32? Can we see a birth certificate? -Craig

Because ghosts. -Andrew

FIFTH
Fehlandt Lentini, 35, Lancaster (Atlantic League)
125 G, 498 AB, .333 BA, 18 HR, 89 RBI, 95 RS, 32 SB, .374/.520/.894
7 points (1 second place vote, Brian’s)

Did I pick this guy based solely on him name? You’re catching on! -Craig

I remembered Lentini from a post I did earlier this year about players who scored more runs than games played. When I saw that he had a solid season, I knew he needed to be on my ballot, if only for his name and the fact that he’s an Indy ball lifer. -Brian

SIXTH
Brian Myrow, 36, Grand Prairie (American Association)
92 G, 316 AB, .364 BA, 12 HR, 63 RBI, 65 RS, .490/.608/1.098
7 points (1 second place vote, 4th on Brian’s ballot)

Because age. -Andrew

T-SEVENTH
Steve Rinaudo, 24, Las Cruces (Pecos League)
67 G, 284 AB, .391 BA, 18 HR, 86 RBI, 100 RS, 23 SB, .467/.732/1.199
5 points (1 first place vote)

T-SEVENTH
Chris Brown, 25, Santa Fe (Pecos League)
44 G, 174 AB, .391 BA, 22 HR, 57 RBI, 59 RS, .476/.810/1.286
5 points (1 first place vote)

OPS so hard! -Andrew

NINTH
Jose Vargas, 24, Traverse City (Frontier League)
96 G, 410 AB, .290 BA, 29 HR, 100 RBI, 78 RS, .346/.576/.922
4 points

TENTH
Adam Buschini, 25, Amarillo (American Association)
96 G, 395 AB, .354 BA, 14 HR, 70 RBI, 87 RS, .410/.562/.972
1 point

After two ineffective seasons in the Phillies organization, Buschini broke out as one of the best infielders in Independent baseball. He’s a great baserunner and hit a career high in home runs. -Scott

T-ELEVENTH
Evan Kohli, 24, Santa Fe (Pecos League)
65 G, 256 AB, .398 BA, 20 HR, 68 RBI, 80 RS, .492/.707/1.199
0 points

T-ELEVENTH
Joe Weik, 24, Edinburgh/Abilene (North American League)
91 G, 356 AB, .340 BA, 12 HR, 67 RBI, 67 RS, .403/.520/.923
0 points

Please join us tomorrow for the Short-Season Reliever of the Year.

2012 Bus Leagues postseason awards: Independent Leagues Starter of the Year

Scott — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 12:52:38 +0000

Indy League RP of the Year: Tom Boleska

Independent League Starter of the Year

FIRST
Jeff Duda, 27, Quebec City (Canadian-American Association)
20 G, 17 GS, 15-1 W-L, 2.10 ERA, 116 IP, 90 H, 26 BB, 120 SO
23 points (3 first place votes)

Although he is not related to Mets first baseman Lucas, I harken back to the first game I covered of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, when official scorers Frank and Chick continuously referred to young Lucas as “Zippedy”…I think that nickname would be more apropos for Jeff. -Craig

Duda is relatively new to starting pitching, but his performance certainly didn’t indicate that in 2012. -Scott

SECOND
Mike Recchia, 23, Windy City (Frontier League)
24 G, 20 GS, 11-3 W-L, 2.51 ERA, 150.1 IP, 107 H, 56 BB, 177 SO
22 points (2 first place votes)

He Recchia’d opposing lineups this season, setting down 177 batters by way of the K…yes I am fully losing my mind. -Craig

Editor’s note: Cannot confirm if sunglasses were removed to the strains of a Who song while making comment.

Deserves an organization for 0’13. -Andrew

THIRD
Jesse Smith, 32, Maui (North American League)
16 GS, 10-2 W-L, 1.33 ERA, 108.1 IP, 73 H, 28 BB, 85 SO
9 points (3 third place votes)

Getting to play baseball in Maui has to be the greatest thing ever…that is all. -Craig

FOURTH
Paul Oseguera, 28, Bridgeport (Atlantic League)
22 GS, 10-6 W-L, 2.56 ERA, 133.2 IP, 115 H, 33 BB, 134 SO
9 points (2 third place votes)

When I wrote about the Cal League exclusively in 2010, Oseguera made some starts for Stockton. Although I don’t recall that, maybe his 2012 season with Bridgeport will have teams give him another look. -Scott

FIFTH
Lucas Irvine, 23, Kansas City (American Association)
30 G, 13 GS, 4-2 W-L, 2.59 ERA, 104.1 IP, 105 H, 42 BB, 107 SO
4 points

Tremendous job of balancing relief and starting duties. -Craig

Weak field allows a majority reliever of the year a starters vote. -Andrew

SIXTH
Celson Polanco, 28, Rio Grande Valley (North American League)
18 G, 16 GS, 12-4 W-L, 1.83 ERA, 122.2 IP, 108 H, 20 BB, 108 SO
3 points

Polanco’s prior Indy League experience hasn’t been tremendous, but 2012 was a breakout season for him. He made it as high as AA for Toronto three years ago. -Scott

T-SEVENTH
Reid Kelly, 25, Traverse City (Frontier League)
18 G, 17 GS, 10-3 W-L, 3.27 ERA, 110 IP, 84 H, 28 BB, 106 SO
2 points

Kelly is a rare pitcher that’s able to keep the ball in the ballpark in Lancaster in the Cal League. This was his first season starting at a professional, and he still maintained a strikeout rate of nearly one per inning. -Scott

T-SEVENTH
Dwayne Pollok, 31, Lancaster (Atlantic League)
32 G, 18 GS, 13-3 W-L, 2.22 ERA, 134 IP, 121 H, 26 BB, 106 SO
2 points

NINTH
Tim Brown, 25, Gateway (Frontier League)
20 GS, 12-2 W-L, 2.28 ERA, 150 IP, 139 H, 40 BB, 66 SO
1 point

I’m giving him a point in hopes the weak field will have him give half of it to his defense. Good god man. SO FEW STRIKEOUTS. -Andrew

T-TENTH
Stephen Fox, 26, New Jersey (Canadian-American Association)
20 GS, 13-3 W-L, 3.57 ERA, 126 IP, 103 H, 40 BB, 129 SO
0 points

T-TENTH
Karl Gelinas, 28, Quebec City (Canadian-American Association)
19 GS, 9-4 W-L, 2.66 ERA, 132 IP, 125 H, 16 BB, 101 SO
0 points

T-TENTH
Matt Rusch, 29, Winnipeg (American Association)
21 GS, 10-4 W-L, 2.40 ERA, 139 IP, 117 H, 31 BB, 113 SO
0 points

Tomorrow, please join us as we finish off the Indy League awards with their Player of the Year.

2012 Bus Leagues postseason awards: Independent Leagues Reliever of the Year

Scott — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 13:03:24 +0000

Independent League Reliever of the Year

FIRST
Tom Boleska, 25, Fargo-Moorhead (American Association)
46 G, 2-1 W-L, 29 SV, 1.76 ERA, 46 IP, 37 H, 11 BB, 58 SO
15 points (1 first place vote)

As the lone first place voter here, I have to justify my vote. With more than a strikeout per inning, a WHIP just a shade over 1.00 and plenty of saves, this former Pirates farmhand earns the #1 spot to me. -Scott

SECOND
Mike Benacka, 30, Laredo/York (American Association/Atlantic League)
45 G, 2-2 W-L, 12 SV, 2.30 ERA, 54.2 IP, 34 H, 37 BB, 95 SO
14 points (2 first place votes)

A little too wild to overcome the name advantage of ALFREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDO CABBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! -Andrew

THIRD
Jonathan Kountis, 24, Lake Erie (Frontier League)
40 G, 6-2 W-L, 18 SV, 1.06 ERA, 59.2 IP, 31 H, 19 BB, 68 SO
14 points (1 first place vote)

Given his record, saves, ERA, and strikeouts, he would have been a clear number one if I had been able to get past the feeling I got when I looked at Mike Benacka’s strikeout totals. I’m not always a rational man. -Brian

Obvious Berman Nickname would be controversial. -Andrew

FOURTH
Jorge Vasquez, 33, Newark (Canadian-American Association)
41 G, 1-2 W-L, 22 SV, 2.18 ERA, 45.1 IP, 33 H, 15 BB, 71 SO
7 points (2 third place votes)

My limited knowledge of the Canadian-American Association indicates it’s a league a bit geared toward pitching, but 71 strikeouts in 45.1 innings is impressive nonetheless. It’s been seven years since Vasquez appeared in a major league game, but he’s still at it. -Scott

FIFTH
Tim Hamulack, 35, Lancaster (Atlantic League)
46 G, 2-1 W-L, 31 SV, 2.05 ERA, 44 IP, 36 H, 14 BB, 51 SO
7 points (2 third place votes)

T-SIXTH
Alfredo Caballero, 27, Alpine/San Angelo (Pecos League/North American League)
43 G, 4-2 W-L, 14 SV, 3.27 ERA, 44 IP, 37 H, 17 BB, 67 SO
5 points (1 first place vote)

I could announce that name for like a minute. -Andrew

T-SIXTH
T.J. Stanton, 31, Quebec City (Canadian-American Association)
34 G, 3-2 W-L, 18 SV, 1.73 ERA, 36.1 IP, 21 H, 7 BB, 46 SO
5 points

Stanton had fewer innings than some of the other top relievers, but this may have been the best season in his long Indy League career. -Scott

EIGHTH
Dustin Umberger, 25, River City (Frontier League)
22 G, 5-2 W-L, 7 SV, 0.93 ERA, 29 IP, 15 H, 9 BB, 48 SO
4 points

Umberger is traveling an unlikely path in professional baseball. After an unimpressive pro debut in 2011 in the Frontier League, he returned to River City in 2012 and pitched well enough to get picked up by the White Sox. -Scott

T-NINTH
Jon Meloan, 28, Long Island (Atlantic League)
23 G, 4-0 W-L, 11 SV, 0.99 ERA, 27.1 IP, 23 H, 8 BB, 36 SO
2 points

T-NINTH
Patrick Mincey, 23, Schaumburg (Frontier League)
34 G, 4-1 W-L, 17 SV, 2.78 ERA, 35.2 IP, 22 H, 17 BB, 57 SO
2 points

T-ELEVENTH
Erik Draxton, 25, San Angelo (North American League)
38 G, 5-1 W-L, 23 SV, 2.42 ERA, 41 IP, 29 H, 15 BB, 32 SO
0 points

T-ELEVENTH
Rich Mascheri, 23, Normal (Frontier League)
26 G, 0-0 W-L, 10 SV, 2.29 ERA, 35.1 IP, 33 H, 14 BB, 47 SO
0 points

Tomorrow, please join us for the Independent League Starter of the Year.