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Minor League Update AFL Update- I haven't heard a word from you since...
...Phoenix or Tucson.  The Arizona Fall League season got underway on Tuesday.  This year, the Jays have sent players to the Phoenix Desert Dogs, including Dustin McGowan, Curtis Thigpen, Chip Cannon and Ryan Klosterman. McGowan got the start yesterday and threw 3 pretty good innings but took the loss as the Dogs were shut out.  Cannon is 3-7 with a walk to start the season, and Klosterman reached base 3 of his first 4 plate trips. 

In early returns, scoring seems to be down in Arizona.  We will see if this continues.




Posted by Mike Green on Thursday, October 12 2006 @ 03:51 PM EDT.
AFL Update- I haven't heard a word from you since... | 40 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
greenfrog - Thursday, October 12 2006 @ 10:09 PM EDT (#156898) #
Baseball America ranked McGowan the 16th-best prospect in the IL this year. League ranked 13th (the only other Blue Jay on the top 20 list. Lind was ranked 6th on their Eastern League (AA) top 20). The scouting reports were quite positive on both League and McGowan.
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js_magloire - Thursday, October 12 2006 @ 10:13 PM EDT (#156899) #
What's gonna need to happen for McGowan to take strides to making the roster next year......on our team?
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rtcaino - Thursday, October 12 2006 @ 10:22 PM EDT (#156900) #

If he is granted an extra option year, I do not see him making the big club. I would like to see him start as much as possible next year in AAA in the hopes that he can put it together. Keeping him in the same role for the whole season would be good.

It is sure nice to know that Baseball America still seespotential in his arm.

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js_magloire - Thursday, October 12 2006 @ 11:18 PM EDT (#156901) #
When do we find out about the extra option year? I never heard of that Rios homerun appeal, not like it matters, but I hope these things dont just fade into oblivion. I'm also wondering what the Jays will get back for Schoeneweis and Hinske.
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David A - Friday, October 13 2006 @ 02:24 AM EDT (#156903) #
Even better is Kyle Yates' line from Thursday night's game: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, and 6 Ks in relief and picked up the win along the way!
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jgadfly - Friday, October 13 2006 @ 07:50 AM EDT (#156904) #
Looking at the game log, the run allowed by McGowan came via a line single...advance to 2nd on a WP...advance to 3rd on a groundball out and a groundball infield single to 3rd ...
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js_magloire - Friday, October 13 2006 @ 02:08 PM EDT (#156924) #
Jays got Trevor Lawhorn from the Reds for the Schoeneweis deal. He looks like another non-MLB, minor league roster filler. He his OPS went from .974 in NCAA, to .703 to .569 in A+ ball thiayear.
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dan gordon - Friday, October 13 2006 @ 02:51 PM EDT (#156927) #
Good to see some good early numbers from the land of The Painted Desert.  You'd have to be a maniac to think it is truly meaningful yet.  Odds would be at least 10,000 - 1 against Cannon continuing to hit .429 for the season. 
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Mike Green - Friday, October 13 2006 @ 02:57 PM EDT (#156928) #
The merchants of baseball salute you, Dan Gordon. 
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Bruce Wrigley - Friday, October 13 2006 @ 03:50 PM EDT (#156929) #
Lawhorn's trick is that he's a homer-hitting second baseman, but so far he hasn't really hit the home runs with the wood - just 17 in 846 at-bats.  He may come around in time, but he's got one year or two at most to show he can play.
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ayjackson - Monday, October 16 2006 @ 11:52 PM EDT (#156987) #
Chip Cannon went deep twice in a 3 for 3 effort to help Phoenix on to victory tonight.  Klosterman was 2 for 4 and Thigpen was 1 for 5.
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Mike Green - Tuesday, October 17 2006 @ 10:08 AM EDT (#156997) #
McGowan makes his second start this afternoon at 1 p.m.  Yesterday's game was on radio, but unfortunately today's game is not. 
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rtcaino - Tuesday, October 17 2006 @ 01:24 PM EDT (#157007) #
"Chip Cannon went deep twice in a 3 for 3 effort to help Phoenix on to victory tonight. "


He also had two walks.
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ramone - Tuesday, October 17 2006 @ 05:05 PM EDT (#157018) #

Well here is Mcgowan's pitching line for today's game:

IP 2.1 H 4 BB 5 ER 5 and an ERA of 10.12 for his two starts.

So far he's off to a rough start. 

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Mike Green - Thursday, October 19 2006 @ 12:23 PM EDT (#157038) #
Curtis Thigpen went 3-4 with a double and a 2 run blast, as the Desert Dogs won yesterday.  Kyle Yates got the start, and allowed 2 runs, 1 earned in 3.1 innings.  Yates struck out 4. Tracy Thorpe had his first good outing to earn the save. Chip Cannon went 1-3 with a walk.
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Mike Green - Thursday, October 19 2006 @ 03:23 PM EDT (#157044) #
Today's Desert Dog game can be heard through milb.com.
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Mike Green - Monday, October 23 2006 @ 09:55 AM EDT (#157122) #
Chip Cannon homered, doubled, and walked twice in a 11-8 Desert Dog victory on Satruday.  Rhame Berley Cannon is on one of his hot streaks...
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Gerry - Tuesday, October 24 2006 @ 05:31 PM EDT (#157175) #
Chip Cannon homered in his first at-bat today, he is 1-2 in the fifth inning.  Kyle Yates has pitched two innings and allowed a run.
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Gerry - Wednesday, October 25 2006 @ 03:02 PM EDT (#157208) #

From Jim Callis's chat on ESPN today........

In the Blue Jays draft report card you talk about some of the young pitchers drafted this year, Chase Lirette, Kyle Ginley, Graham Godfrey, Pat McGuigan as well as senior sign Brandon Magee. How many of those guys have a chance to make the top 30 and which one is likely to be ranked highest? 

Jim Callis: Magee is in the Top 10, and Ginley and Lirette are in the 11-30 range. So you'll have to buy the Prospect Handbook to read about them!

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Gerry - Wednesday, October 25 2006 @ 05:20 PM EDT (#157210) #
Chip Cannon is 3-3 with a home run in the fourth inning of todays game.  His OPS is 1.244, impressive even by the hitting friendly standards of the AFL.
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Mike Green - Wednesday, October 25 2006 @ 09:28 PM EDT (#157213) #
Cannon ended up 4-6 with a walk.  Curtis Thigpen hit a homer and drove in 6 in a 23-9 Desert Dog romp.
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Mike Green - Thursday, October 26 2006 @ 10:13 PM EDT (#157246) #
Chip Cannon is officially scorching.  Two more homers today for seven in  the short AFL season.  He mastered the three true outcomes with a walk and three strikeouts to go with the longballs. 

I guess Cannon likes the warm weather.  The last time he hit like this was for a month in Dunedin in June.  Crank it up to 28 in the Rogers Center, I say.

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js_magloire - Friday, October 27 2006 @ 10:58 AM EDT (#157252) #
Why didn't Chip Cannon make the allstar team? (Or am I missing him...) The stats aren't up to date on the site too, says only 5 homeruns..
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Mike Green - Friday, October 27 2006 @ 11:21 AM EDT (#157253) #
Here is Cannon's player card.  His cumulative line for the season is .260/.347/.511.  That is probably a fair reflection of what he can do at the double A level at age 24.  Excellent pop, strikes out 1/3 of the time, slow and will take a walk.  He's not going to  pick up speed, so his one chance to improve is to knock down his K rate incrementally while maintaining his power.  It's not easy, but it can be done.
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Mike Green - Saturday, October 28 2006 @ 06:00 PM EDT (#157281) #
Chip Cannon got the start at third base today. It's the first time that I can recall him playing the position during his pro career, and  I'm not aware of him playing it in college either.  Interesting.

Dustin McGowan pitched brilliantly, but is on the losing end of a 1-0 game so far.

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VBF - Sunday, October 29 2006 @ 11:35 AM EST (#157292) #
Looks like Ryan Klosterman broke his knuckle, so that would explain that.
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VBF - Sunday, October 29 2006 @ 11:40 AM EST (#157293) #
Klosterman was likely filling in for another injured player. Looks like Cannon, despite being non-existent on the third base depth chart was slotted there.
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Mike Green - Monday, October 30 2006 @ 08:51 PM EST (#157321) #
Cannon is about as hot as you can get.  He hit his 8th homer in 15 games today (this one to centerfield).  Curtis Thigpen doubled and singled, while Kyle Yates got the start and went 4 fine innings, 1 earned run on 3 hits, no walks and 4 strikeouts. 

Cannon was back at first base.

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Mike Green - Tuesday, October 31 2006 @ 09:03 PM EST (#157361) #
A homer a day sure impresses.  Cannon went yard again today.  That's 9 homers in 16 games.  He's even a little hotter than he was in Dunedin in June, 2005.
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jgadfly - Sunday, November 05 2006 @ 12:18 PM EST (#157505) #
Nov 4... Kyle Yates started his second game and pitched 5.1 innings allowing 2 hits with 5 K's/0 BB and lowered his league leading ERA to 1.41 ... Hmmm !
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The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.