Clip Show: Keeping an Eye on the Tribe’s AAA Squad – 9/1/09

Clip Show aims to be your weekly update for all things Columbus Clippers. Check back each Tuesday afternoon for team records, roster updates, and performance updates on some of the brightest prospects in the Tribe system.

It is the final week of the season (last game: Monday, 9/7). There isn’t much to say on the record front, so we’ll touch on what we dubbed the “Tribe AAA Cup” – the race to stay out of “dead last” in the IL – going on between Columbus and Buffalo, the former home of our AAA Squad in years past. The clubs are in a dead-heat for last place, with seven games to go. Who wants it more? Or less, even? It’s going to be a drunken stumble to the finish…

This Week: 2-5

Current Record: 54-81, 4th place (of four) in ILW (International League West)

Roster News:

As Scott noted earlier, the September roster expansion in the majors has moved OF Michael Brantley up to the big club. The Clippers made only one other move this week, which involved activating LHP Bobby Livingston from the “temporarily inactive” list (a list I’d never heard of before this), and then summarily sending him to Akron, though most recently word came that RHP Carlos Carrasco got the call, and will start for Cleveland tonight, as well.

Full Roster:

OF: Jordan Brown, Mickey Hall, Stephen Head
IF: Josh Barfield, Tony Graffanino, Wes Hodges, Jesus Merchan, Niuman Romero
C: Damaso Espino, Lou Marson
SP: Ryan Edell, Mike Gosling, Chuck  Lofgren, Ken Ray, Hector Rondon
RP: Greg Aquino (R), Frank Herrmann (R), Zach Jackson (L), Ken Ray (R), Rich Rundles (L), RJ Swindle (L), Michael Tejara (L), Jose Veras (R)

Upcoming Schedule/Probables*

9/1 vs. Louisville, ???
9/2 vs. Louisville, Hector Rondon
9/3 @ Toledo, Chuck Lofgren
9/4 @ Toledo, Ryan Edell
9/5 vs. Toledo, Mike Gosling
9/6 vs. Toledo, ??? (with potential call-ups, this is hard to speculate)
9/7 vs. Toledo, ???

*subject to change

Players to Watch

Thumbs UP:

Well, he’s getting the call at the right time. RHP Carlos Carrasco finished his time in Columbus on a high note, working 7.0 innings for the win on Thursday. He surrendered only one earned run on four hits and a walk (WHIP: 0.71) while striking out three. As TD mentioned earlier, his final Columbus numbers are: 5-1 in six starts with 42.1 IP (over seven per start). He allowed 15 earned runs (ERA: 3.19) on 31 hits and seven walks (WHIP: 0.90) while fanning 36. Opposing hitters batted a miniscule .196 off of Carrasco in a Columbus uniform. Carrasco definitely earned his call-up after the trade, as his numbers have improved significantly since coming over (6-9, 5.18 ERA in 20 starts at Lehigh Valley prior to the trade), even with a lackluster offense supporting him.

Another guy who got hot this week before is call-up was the previously-struggling OF Michael Brantley. Brantley had been battling an ankle issue and hadn’t been getting consistent time, and when he was playing he looked to be scuffling. Not so much this week. Brantley was back in the lineup every day, and went 11-for-29 on the week (.379) with three doubles, a triple, and a home run (SLG: .655), as well as seven steals in as many attempts (including three last night) and five runs scored. At the time of his call-up, there are some stellar notes on Brantley’s season numbers: 46 steals in 51 attempts (90.2% success), a .350 OBP, 80 runs scored in 116 games, and more walks than K’s (59/48). He also played some solid centerfield, showing good range and a decent-but-not-awesome arm. However, his overall average struggled for most of the year to stay above .260 (finished .267), which is cause for concern in terms of his readiness for the next level. It will certainly be interesting to see how much playing time Brantley gets in September with the Tribe.

He’s back, baby! OF Jordan Brown, who returned from the DL last week, has worked his way back into the lineup every day, and had a solid first full week back. In playing in all seven games, Brown posted a 10-for-31 week at the dish (.323) with a double, two RBI, and seven runs scored. Brown’s season numbers are stellar: in 106 games, he’s hitting .332 (132-for-398) with 12 homers, 34 doubles, and 60 RBI. His OPS is up near .900 as well (.374/.513).

3B Wes Hodges finally put two decent weeks together again. After a modest week last week with eight hits in 28 at-bats (.286), Hodges got back to putting the bat on the ball this week at a better clip, posting 10-for-26 (.385) in six games, including getting a hit in all six of those games. Hodges has hit safely in eight of his last nine games, and has five multi-hit games in that stretch. The issue for Hodges continues to be that he’s just not slugging the ball at all (only one extra base hit over that nine game span). Hodges is slugging at a measly .394 clip in 302 at-bats, including just five homers, which is hard to accept from a corner infield position. Granted, he’s battled injuries for a lot of the year, but Hodges will need to improve dramatically next year if he wants to be in the Tribe’s longer-term plans at third. With the resurgence of Jhonny Peralta in the majors post-all-star-break, and Hodges about to turn 25, the clock is most assuredly ticking.

Back in the “up” column this week is RHP Frank Herrmann, who worked two more very solid appearances out of the bullpen. Herrmann pitched 4.1 innings this week, surrendering just one earned run (ERA: 2.08) on three hits and no walks (WHIP: 0.69) while striking out four. On the year, he’s worked 73.0 innings in 41 games for the Clippers and has an ERA of 2.96. Herrmann has allowed 80 hits,  walked 13, and whiffed 48.

One guy who needs a thumbs up is LHP Chuck Lofgren. We’ve documented over the past few weeks his late-season struggles, but he bounced back somewhat nicely this week, getting a win in his start while pitching 5.2 innings and giving up just two earned runs. He scattered five hits, walked two, and struck out three.

Thumbs DOWN:

RHP Hector Rondon got a bit roughed up in his start this week, working six innings and giving up seven earned runs (ERA: 10.50) on 12 hits and a walk (WHIP: 2.17). Through ten starts in Columbus, Rondon is 4-3 with 59.2 innings pitched. He has allowed 23 earned runs (3.47 ERA), 69 hits, walked 11 (1.34 WHIP), and fanned 54.

Continuing to struggle of late is C Lou Marson. Lou again got five of the seven starts this week and went 3-for-22 (.136), bringing his last 10 games’ total to 5-for-39 (.128). Marson’s OBP is way down since the trade (.382 at Lehigh Valley, .305 with Columbus), his average is way down (.294 with LHV, .244 with the Clips), and his OPS is down over 130 points (.751/.619). I don’t know if the change in scenere has hurt Marson, if he’s fatigued, or what, but is has been bleak the past couple of weeks for Sweet Lou.

And Finally…

I don’t really have something of “A Quick Word…” this week, other than to say that the Clippers have five-of-seven at home to close out the year. If you get a chance, hop down and check out Huntington Park. It’s the best thing you’ll see at a Clippers game right now since the remaining solid players have largely now all been called up.