Thoughts (in totally random order) from today’s festivities at Maryvale:
Milwaukee – consensus top 5 overall Prospect Orlando Arcia played most of the game. Silky smooth. Very quick. Quick hands. My first thought was Alcides Escobar (all defense, not so much offense) then he sent the 2nd pitch he saw from Jake McGee yard. Super impressed. Also looks similar to Addison Russell from 2 years ago when I saw him on the A’s back fields.
Domingo Santana – Stolen from the Astros in the Carlos Gomez damaged goods trade last year at the deadline. This kid looks good. Bigger version of Lorenzo Cain. Hit 6 HRs for the Brewers last season in 121 ABs. I can see him immediately being a 25 HR, 20 SB guy……this season.
Scouts – tons of scouts at the game. I surmise primarily for Jonathan LuCroy.
For the Rox…..Tyler Anderson tweaked something in his core area warming up. I saw it happen. He was scratched.
Jon Gray became “starter” (he was scheduled to pitch 3+ innings anyway). Gray was throwing LOTS of curves. Some looked good. His follow-through looks 50% better than last year. He seemed to have a good disposition on the mound. I wouldn’t look at his results from today per se. Today was definitely “curve” day.
Trevor Story – a virtual physical twin of Arenado. Looked really, really good. Hit a massive HR, dead center, over the batter’s eye wall. Definitely a fast-twitch athlete. We’re idiots if we don’t give him the job from day #1 and stick with him.
Tom Murphy – very athletic. Had an ongoing discussion with the Umpire after being incorrectly punched out in the 2nd…..but he handled it well.
Arenado – looks fantastic.
Tyler Anderson – as noted, hurt in warmups. But he doesn’t look the part. He’s the definition of a need based desperation draft pick. If I’m correct and its his oblique, then he’s out for 6 weeks, then 4 week rebuild. He’ll get to ABQ in early July.
Jake McGee – served up the HR to Arcia….but velocity looked excellent (no gun readings at the Park), worked quickly, knows what he’s doing.
Chad Qualls – had to cover 1st base on a grounder to Paulsen. He looks brittle and tight. There was a mound meeting after the play….I think he needed to catch his breathe.
Parra – started the game in CF, made a great read on a hard hit ball and almost caught it. Strangely, in the 2nd, Barnes moved to center and Parra to left. Parra lost another ball in the sun (this was happening to players in all the games I attended).
Raimel Tapia – 2 ABs late in the game. Let the record show the count went 3-2 on both. He ultimately tripled down the RF line in the first AB. Flied out down the LF line 2nd AB. Extremely quick hands. Physically, he looks like Edgar Renteria when he came up with the Marlins in 96. Deceptively fast.
All 5 Milwaukee sausages were present and they had the traditional 6th inning sausage race. The Hot Dog won.
My hero, Dick Monfart (and his posse) were sitting in row 1 immediately behind WW. Too close, too close, too close. That man needs to be in an air conditioned booth far enough away from Weiss to not steal his oxygen.