Posts belonging to Category Mike Rosenbaum

• After surviving another round of the cuts this past week, Baltimore Orioles’ left-hander Zach Britton will likely get one more Spring Training start before he is either sent to Triple-A or chosen as the O’s fifth starter.  The 22-year-old, our No. 25 prospect, has been ridiculous this spring, giving up only one earned run in 14 innings of work while walking four and fanning nine.  But just like with any high-profile prospect, the organization has a decision to make: have him begin the 2011 season in Triple-A and control his contract for an extra year, or immediately put him to work.  For everyone over at Birds Watcher it’s a no-brainer: keep this promising left-hander in the organization as long as possible.

• The Giants’ Brandon Belt is in the same boat as Britton – he is yet to be assigned to Triple-A and is being considered (perhaps even favored) for an Opening Day roster spot.  Compared to other prospects, Belt has received an inordinate amount of playing time this spring – kind of like a big league crash course – and has played well enough (.292 BA, 5 doubles, 3 home runs, and 13 RBI) to keep himself in mix.  Our friends at Splashing Pumpkins weigh in on the situation in a piece called, ‘The Brandon Belt Conundrum,’ and establish a set of criteria that, if met, would justify the first baseman’s spot on the Opening Day roster.

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• Scouting the Sally provides an in-depth scouting report on Atlanta Braves’ right-hander Julio Teheran — the Sombrero’s No. 13 prospect.  Regarded as one of the top RHP prospects in the game, and the best that they have scouted over at the Sally, Teheran could reach the big leagues in 2011, although 2012 is far more realistic considering the Braves’ already have both Brandon Beachy and Mike Minor primed to round out their rotation.  Be sure to check out the incredibly detailed scouting report as well as the video they shot last season.

• The Seattle Mariners’ second baseman of the future, Dustin Ackley, was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday, thus ending his chances of making the Opening Day roster.  Although the left-handed hitting Ackley — the Arizona Fall League MVP and No. 3 on our list — didn’t have a blistering Spring Training, it was by no means poor.  In 15 games he hit .269 with eight walks and 16 runs.  Considering that Brendan Ryan received the nod as Opening Day shortstop, which in turn shifts the defensively-sound Jack Wilson to second base, it shouldn’t be long before Ackley is called up.

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Mike Sweeney was the type of player who was always regarded as one of the nicest guys; a great clubhouse guy who was always genuine with his teammates.  But if anyone tried to double cross him, they quickly learned that the big fella had quite the temper — just ask Jeff Weaver or the entire 2010 Seattle Mariners team.

To honor the once prolific slugger, we decided that it would only be appropriate to showcase the real Mike Sweeney. So here it is: the video of the epic Sweeney/Weaver brawl. Enjoy.

I like the part where he refers to Jeff Weaver as “one of the better pitchers in baseball.”

The Sombrero’s No. 2 prospect: Mike Trout

Now that we have unveiled all of our Top 50 Prospects, we thought it would be interesting to see what all of our readers think.  Therefore, we are holding a pre-season poll to gauge everyone’s thoughts regarding the potential 2011 Minor League Player of the Year.  Now, you may look at this list and wonder why so many of baseball’s best prospects have been omitted.  Well, it was intentional.  We have structured our ballot to focus on the players who we believe will spend the majority of the season, if not the entire thing, in the minors.

Voting Rules:

– Each person is allowed two votes

– If you select ‘other’ as one of your choices, please mention the player in mind in the comments section below, and if willing, provide an explanation.

– All votes will be locked at the start of the 2011 MLB and MiLB seasons

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The Golden Sombrero presents MLB Look-alikes: Brian Wilson and Zangief (Street Fighter)