Comments on: Venezuelan Parallel League Wrap

By: cariocacardinal

cariocacardinal — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 03:48:19 +0000

Just because Bolivar didn’t get as big of a bonus doesn’t mean the Cards on just as high on him as they are Ruiz. I think they are. The only reason that it is the least bit strange to me (I mean somebody had to DH for them all to get playing time) is that since Ruiz is new to the position you’d think they’d want him to get as much experience at the position as possible.

By: easy

easy — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 00:56:42 +0000

Any information on why Ruiz played as a DH? Seems a little odd but maybe they just wanted him to concentrate on hitting. Also may explain why his performance was so much better.

By: erik

erik — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 22:09:20 +0000

yeah, i guess they had bolivar and garcia playing the middle IF, but i agree, why not give him more time at SS. it’s not like Bolivar should be standing in his way. maybe he was nursing some sort of injury. i dunno

By: lawless

lawless — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 21:44:13 +0000

Good info, but simple question - why would you DH a 17 year old SS you just signed for $500K? Strange no?

By: erik

erik — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:02:21 +0000

that’s because i don’t really know a whole lot about him.

By: ridgessee

ridgessee — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:48:10 +0000

Jose Garcia; I looked for him the other day when I was studying the “system at a glance” post and never saw him mentioned as a prospect anywhere. Thought it odd, wondered why.

By: erik

erik — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:11:50 +0000

I’d be interested in seeing some sort of your “top ranking” for hitters and pitchers at each stop. Or maybe by calendar age. Who are our top 17, 18, 19, 20 YOs in the system, and where are they playing? Or what’s the short list of the best players at each team in 2007? Something like that.

good idea. I’ll think about it and try and do that sometime.

I’d say the Parallel league is slightly above the VSL because most of the GCL guys come back as well as people like GArcia and others who played even higher (MArtinez and Lucena even played a couple of games but for a different team).

Good observation, a lot of the GCLers were there, as well as guys as high as A in Garcia. Maybe it’s a tougher league then I gave it credit for.

By: BigJawnMize

BigJawnMize — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:13:54 +0000

Hell Erik are yo going to start tracking down the Vietnam Jungle League stats for the potential midle reliever that we could have stashed their. Interesting stuff, is there a listing of where the Cards send players under their control?

By: Jeff

Jeff — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:58:30 +0000

Thanks for this, I love reading about these guys and couldn’t get this kind of info anywhere else.

By: siddfynch

siddfynch — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:44:06 +0000

Erik, thanks for dipping so deeply into the system for this. Wow, really deep. A catcher converted to SS? Don’t see that every day.

Texas is getting rave reviews for how DEEP it’s minor league system is, largely due to lots of talent at very low levels. I can’t even say right now what the level of talent (relative or absolute) for the Cards in these low minors and instructionals is.

I’d be interested in seeing some sort of your “top ranking” for hitters and pitchers at each stop. Or maybe by calendar age. Who are our top 17, 18, 19, 20 YOs in the system, and where are they playing? Or what’s the short list of the best players at each team in 2007? Something like that.