Week 12 Hero of the Week

After a terrible start to the season Nick Markakis has turned it around. June was a good month for him and this last week was his best.
Nick lead or tied for the team lead in: Hits (13), Runs (4), HR (1), RBI (4), and SB (2)

Week 12 Little Hero of the Week

The Kelly's Heroes for the 1st time this season had no one on the baseball hot sheets. So with no minor leaguer standing this week The little Hero of the week went to player that could almost win it weekly OF Mike Trout.

AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS

.325 67 252 59 82 12 9 9 25 139 35 54 24 7 .422 .552 .974

Future's Game

The Heroes have 4 players headed to the future's game. Two hitter and 2 pitchers. Both Paxton and Martinez made it in there first year of pro ball in the USA.


Kipnis, Jason (Indians)
Trout, Mike (Angels)
Martinez, Carlos (Cardinals)
Paxton, James (Mariners)

Bobby Abrue is a Hero again

Heroes Gets
OF Bobby Abrue

Ball Busters Gets
4th rd picks

Week 11 Hero of the Week

OF Brett Gardner was named Hero of the week. He had a big week 11H (1), .423avg (2), 5R (1T), 1HR (1T), 3RBI (2T), 4BB (1), 1SB (3T).


Brett Gardner went 3-for-5 and hit a leadoff homer Sunday against the Cubs.
It was his first career leadoff homer. With his average up to .294, he deserves to keep hitting leadoff against right-handers after Derek Jeter returns. It probably won't happen initially, but maybe once Jeter gets his 3,000th hit.

Luke Jackson added back to Roster

The Rangers drafted Jackson last year out of high school as a supplemental first-round pick, but he didn't make his official pro debut until May 20 this year. The Rangers have sent many of their high school draft picks to short-season Spokane after spending the early months of the season in extended spring training, but the organization instead opted to send Jackson to Hickory for his first professional start. Rome tagged Jackson for four runs in four innings in that game, but since then he's been a South Atlantic League standout, with a low-90s fastball that can reach the mid-90s. His five-inning, 10-strikeout game against Charleston yesterday gives him 29 in 25 1/3 innings, while his ERA through six starts sits at 3.20.

Week 11 Little Hero of the Week

JASON KIPNIS, 2B was named Little Hero of the week for week 11.
Why He's Here: .500/.538/1.083 (12-for-24), 2 HR, 2 2B, 3 3B, 7 RBIs, 8 R, 2 BB, 4 SO
The Scoop: Orlando Cabrera may have broken up Justin Verlander's no-hitter on Tuesday night, but overall he's gone just 14-for-76 (.184) in his past 23 games as the Indians' primary second baseman. That's to say that Kipnis is heating up at just the right time. He smashed seven extra-base hits six games this week, and he's slugging .698 so far in June. Kipnis' other skills had been on display all season—he walks, he shows no platoon split with a .920 OPS versus lefties—so the additional power is a welcome addition. (Though not part of his official count, Kipnis receives credit here for a 1-for-2 with a double performance in Columbus' June 10 suspended game against Rochester. The two teams will complete the game at a later date.)

Smaller Trade

Heroes gets
Baby Seals 2012 4th round pick

Baby Seals gets
Chris Dwyer SP KC

Another Big Trade

Heroes Gets
SP Brian Matusz
OF Jason Bay
SP David Perez Tex
3B Chone Figgins
RP Heath Hembree SF
2nd rd pick

Rollin Goats Gets
3B Adrian Beltre
2B, OF Michael Cuddyer
OF Alfonso Soriano
SP Alex Wimmers

Oscar Hernandez

VSL Rays 17 yr old Catcher Oscar Hernandez (07/09/1993) is absolutely destroying the league. Looking at the stats it is almost video game like so I'm wondering if anyone knows anything about the league/ballpark that they can shine some light about this kid and where he would/does rank in prospect rankings.

Overall he has a line of .421/.506/.908 32-76 with 11 HR. At home is numbers are insane (one reason I ask about the park, although it only seems to affect him) he is 21-37 with 10 HR and a 2.087 OPS.

To put his numbers in perspective the #2 guy in HR's in the league has a total of 4 and the team highs are the Rays (24) and than 2nd is the Tigers with 11 and no other team has more than 10. It is very early in the season but dude is off to a Babe Ruth like first 20 games.

Week 10 Hero of the Week

SP Jordan Zimmerman was named Hero of the Week. He lead the team 14inn, 13k's, 0.69era, and tied for the team lead in wins (1). Jordan also finished 2nd in whip with 0.79

MILB Trout covage

Mike Trout had a big Saturday night at the plate, but he wasn't happy after the game.
MLB.com's No. 1 prospect went 3-for-4 with a triple, two stolen bases and three runs scored, but the Double-A Arkansas Travelers fell to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, 6-4.

The loss trimmed the Travelers' lead over the second-place Naturals to one game in the Texas League North Division first-half standings.

"You know, I was happy with my success as an individual, but as a team it was definitely a big loss for us," Trout said. "We had a four- or five-game win streak, then split a doubleheader yesterday. Tonight was a big game for us and we fell short at the end."

Trout began his night with a bang, leading off the bottom of the first inning with a triple to right-center field. He trotted home one batter later when Darwin Perez singled to left.

"The first pitch was a strike; I was taking a strike in the first AB of the game. He got ahead, 0-2, and I fouled some pitches off and got a good pitch to hit," he said, adding that he was thinking triple straight off the bat.

The 19-year-old center fielder's first steal of the game came in the fourth, when he continued to third base on catcher Salvador Perez's throwing error. He scored again on a single by Darwin Perez.

Trout again stole second in the eighth after drawing a one-out walk. Two batters later, Luis Jimenez drove him in with a single, getting the Travelers within a run.

"Once I got on base, I told myself I had to get on second," Trout said. "I got good jumps. Both the pitchers had slow times to the plate; you gotta take advantage of that stuff."

The Naturals got back that run in the ninth, however, when Anthony Seratelli hit a two-out RBI single. Arkansas' Angel Castillo lined into an unassisted double play in the bottom half to end the game.

Trout is hitting .417 (15-for-36) with five multi-hit contests over his last 10 games. He's reached safely in 22 consecutive games.

"I'm not trying to do too much," he said. "Once I start to do too much, I get jumpy. When I try to do too much, I pop out, I get out in front. I feel comfortable at the plate. I'm just staying back and trying to hit the ball the other way."

Trout also has been hot on the basepaths, with 11 steals in 12 tries over his last 13 games. He ranks second in the league with 21 thefts in 27 chances.

"I'm definitely getting comfortable out there," Trout said. "At the beginning [of the season], I was a little tense, not comfortable yet. I did my early work and got in my comfortable zone. I'm getting good jumps -- that's definitely key."

For the year, Trout is batting .316 with seven homers, seven triples, 19 RBIs, 43 runs scored and a .959 OPS. Still, the Angels prospect said he is focused on a Texas League championship, not a promotion.

"I don't really think about that stuff," Trout added. "Whatever they wanna do, they'll do. I just want to win a championship, win the first half. It would be big to win first half -- [the Travelers] haven't done that in a while. That's our main goal."

Rizzo is UP!

Anthony Rizzo collected his first home run and double as a major leaguer Saturday against the Nationals.
They were also the Padres' only extra-base hits of the game. Rizzo is off to an excellent start for the Padres, having gone 3-for-7 with four walks in three games. His first hit was a triple, so all three so far have gone for extra bases.

Week 10 Little Hero of the Week

OF Brandon Jacobs was named Little Hero of the week. Red Sox LF Brandon Jacobs finds himself. The 20-year-old has shown the combination of power (seven homers) and speed (12 steals) that intrigued the Red Sox when the pried him away from an Auburn football commitment. Most importantly, he's showing bat skills (.319 average) and not just raw athleticism with low Class A Greenville.

Another Block Buster

Arod stay with the Kelly's Heroes lasted only 2 days. But tield another good return. OF Brent Gardner, 3B Adrian Beltre and a 2nd rd pick. Heroes managment like the deal on 2 counts: the first Garrdner is much need young OF depth and much need speed. Then 2nd round is very nice a deep draft as well. The 2nd big reason the Heros like this move was Beltre is 3 1/2 years younger then Rodriguez and had more HR, RBI and Hits on the season then Arod.

The haul for Zimmerman now looks even bigger,
3B Adrian Beltre
OF Brent Gardner
1st rd pick (tiger's)
1st rd pick (Cales's)
2nd rd pick (ray's)

Block Buster

The Kelly's Heroes and Mauling Tiger pulled a block buster trade that sends last year Hero of the year packing and brings in former CPL MVP Alex Rodriguez. Though rumor has it Arod will not hang around long the phone lines are already popping.






Mauling Tiger gets
3B Ryan Zimmerman

Kelly's Heroes gets
3B Alex Rodriguez
1st rd (Cales)
1st rd (Tigers)

Edward Salcedo to 3B?

Big Dave (AR): Edward Salcedo has been starting to heat up a bit lately. Any word on how his development is going? Does it look like 3B will be his long term position?

J.J. Cooper: Lot less concerns about Salcedo's bat than his glove. I haven't talked to anyone who sees him as a shortstop long-term, and there are questions whether he can handle third.

Mike Minor is close

Mike Minor took a perfect game into the seventh inning pitching for Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday.
Minor ended up tossing eight shutout innings, striking out nine. He will likely return to the Braves rotation Saturday in Houston. "I said, 'Hey, there are no promises; you're lined up but there are no promises,'" Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "But that is a good step. We haven't made that decision but that's nice to see."

Week 9 Hero of the Week

SS Elvis Andrus was named Hero of the week. This his 2nd time being named Hero of the week. He had a big week 12h (1), 7R (1), 1HR (3), 7RBI (1T), 4SB (1), .444avg (1), 1.149OPS (1)

Week 9 Little Hero of the Week

CF A.J. Pollock missed the 2010 season with a fractured elbow, but that hasn't slowed him down this year. Arizona skipped him over high Class A to get him back on track, and he's had few problems with Double-A Mobile. The 23-year-old center fielder hit .357/.514/.607 (10-for-28) with seven walks and four extra-base hits this week as he extended a hitting streak to 11 games before going hitless on Thursday night.