A Minor No-No
Finally got into my hotel room in Atlanta, and before I head out to Turner Field, I'd thought I'd fire off the first installment of WGTBITPT (What's Going To Be In The Paper Tomorrow) (mostly because I don't have anything for DMTP, what with yesterday being an off day and all):
First off, we'll have our first minor-league notebook. It'll be small. Too small. But we'll let the $.35-edition folks get a bit of news through that, and I'll try to dump whatever other farm stuff I find out into the Journal.
Secondly: Emiliano Fruto threw six innings of no-hit ball for Class AAA Columbus last night.
(Wait. Did I hear grumbling? Yes, it's coming from Seattle, where Jose Vidro entered this afternoon's game at Boston 1 for his first 11 this year. You remember Vidro, right? Supposed second baseman. Dumped on the Mariners for Fruto and OF Chris Snelling. Mariners paying him $12 million over next two years, Nationals eating $4 million.)
So anyway, Fruto was converted into a starter just before the Columbus season began. I talked about that last week in the Journal. The reason: He has three pitches (necessary for a starter, who has to face a lineup multiple times in a game) and has a power arm, not to mention the fact that this franchise needs to look for starting pitchers under every rock it can find.
"We can always move him back," GM Jim Bowden said last week.
Not yet. Fruto's line: 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 61 pitches, 40 strikes.
The Columbus Clippers ended up losing to the Louisville Bats (Reds affiliate) 1-0, when Mike Bacsik finally allowed a couple hits. Louisville only got two in the game.
But here's a quote, lifted from the Louisville Courier-Journal, from Louisville outfielder Bubba Crosby, who got the game-winning hit, on Fruto:
"He didn't really bust out the changeup until like the third inning," Crosby told the paper. "Everybody was seeing sinkers, sinkers, sinkers. Then when we came through the lineup a second time he started showing that changeup and curveball."
The changeup is supposed to be Fruto's best pitch. And, if he's mastered that at 22 and he can mix it in with a hard two-seam fastball (sinker), look out. The Mariners used him as a starter when he was a teenager in the low minors, but found he had trouble concentrating over six or seven innings. This is a very, very encouraging sign for Washington, and it'll be interesting to see how Fruto does when he gets stretched out to 80 or 100 pitches.
Tonight: Matt Chico's second career start. Really interested in this kid. Nothing seems to rattle him. I've got a story from Randy St. Claire on one of his bullpen sessions that I'm saving for the $.35-edition at some point, but if I can't use it soon, I'll drop it into the Journal. Fascinating stuff.
One other housekeeping note: We started a small feature that will run on Mondays yesterday, a "Ballpark Update" that will run in the $.35-edition up where "By the numbers" and "Quotable" run, at the top of the inside page where my game stories jump to. Just a way to point out what the latest projects down on South Capitol St. are. Hope it helps.
That's it for now. Headed down to the ballpark. I'll probably get you some lineups when I have them (though with this 7:35 p.m. start, I probably won't get them to you till you're all home from work).
By Barry Svrluga |
April 10, 2007; 2:30 PM ET
Previous: What a week |
Next: Didn't Make the Paper, Vol. VI
Posted by: Capitol Hill | April 10, 2007 2:42 PM
Time to ACTAvate the spreadsheet...
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How DARE you imply that some of us are reading about the Nats during work. Gotta go - boss coming ...
Posted by: natsfan1a | April 10, 2007 2:46 PM
Sounds like Fruto is getting a good indoctrination into the "Nats Way"... waste a great start with no run production...
Do I sound bitter? I haven't seen the Nats win in person since April 2005!
Posted by: Wigi | April 10, 2007 3:03 PM
Great info Barry. Thanks for all the minor league stuff, since it seems like it may be one of the few (only?) bright spots for the organization this year.
Posted by: Brewer | April 10, 2007 3:13 PM
Do share the Chico story ASAP. I grew up in the same area as him...and Cordero.
Posted by: Andrew S | April 10, 2007 3:50 PM
Hey Barry,
Why do all of the other sections of the "Sports Columns and Blogs" have the writer's picture, while yours just has the Nat's toilet-seat logo ?
Your lady-fans want to see you !
Posted by: grrrrlpower | April 10, 2007 4:03 PM
Svrluga: Too ugly for the Web. (That's what I'm told, actually.)
Posted by: Barry Svrluga | April 10, 2007 4:09 PM
Barry, thanks for adding the Ballpark update to the Nats section. I enjoyed seeing that yesterday and finding out what's on the to do list at the construction site. Now that a lot of the major structure is built it's been a lot harder to see what new progress is being made from day to day...
Posted by: Gibby | April 10, 2007 4:38 PM
One more new ballpark issue... In all of the artists renderings it looks like the press box is off-center when lined up with the lower seating bowl and playing field. Is that really the case? Maybe a bad drawing?
Posted by: Gibby | April 10, 2007 4:44 PM
These in-season updates are so great. I feel very connected. thanks!
Posted by: gretchen | April 10, 2007 4:47 PM
What was it that Bowden said a while back, that the front office would be concentrating on "pitching, pitching and more pitching?"
Looks like they concentrated on it a bit too much.
"...Wait. Did I hear grumbling? Yes, it's coming from Seattle, where Jose Vidro entered this afternoon's game at Boston 1 for his first 11 this year."
Wait. Did I hear laughing? It's coming from Bowden's office...
Posted by: Juan-John | April 10, 2007 4:54 PM
The Nats sent me a letter today, they would like me to renew the 20 game plan that I had in 2005. They were nice enough to include a coupon to receive 10 percent off any purchase at the team store. Of course the coupon expired March 29. These guys cant get anything right.
Posted by: PowerBoater69 | April 10, 2007 6:05 PM
Powerboater...you think thats startling, I moved to South Carolina, and I still get phone calls to renew my 20 game plan. I told them that if they supplied the transportation, I would do it. Guess they don't want me back that bad, but they still call.
Posted by: SC Nats Fan | April 10, 2007 6:14 PM
Stop with those sad faces...look at today standing. Nationals 1 and 6....Phillies 1 and 6.
Were in Atlanta, Ga and they have the Mets. Damn, we might remain locked right up to the weekend.
ZIPPY
Posted by: Zippy | April 10, 2007 7:32 PM
I'm very glad to see the stadium news in the $.35 edition, and even gladder to hear about Fruto's success in AAA. And these between-papers reports on the Journal are fantastic. Thanks!
Posted by: shepdave | April 10, 2007 7:34 PM
PowerBoater: The Nats actually called me and asked if I would be interested in season tickets, and I live in Anchorage, Alaska!
Posted by: Wigi | April 10, 2007 7:53 PM
what is DMTP?
Posted by: dogger | April 10, 2007 9:39 PM
dogger: didn't make the paper. just $.35.
Posted by: derek | April 10, 2007 9:54 PM
I'm still being mailed New York Mets ticket information, even though I now live in Virginia rather than New Jersey and haven't had a Mets season plan since 1998.
Posted by: Vincent | April 11, 2007 1:46 AM
So Joe Thuston was granted his release (upon request) yesterday. I asked him about it, and he said this is the worst organization he has ever been with. He told me the GM and the Manager (Manny?!?) were very unfair and the whole org. was dishonest. Interesting...
Posted by: Andrew Stebbins | April 11, 2007 8:46 AM
Looks like this road trip will help our bullpen get some rest, the Nats only need to get 24 outs per game.
Posted by: PowerBoater69 | April 11, 2007 8:59 AM
I think Andew Sebbins meant me.
Posted by: Joe Thurston | April 11, 2007 9:06 AM
I get stuff from the Cincinnati Reds all the time and bought ONE ticket to ONE game (over the internet no less) back in 2003.
That said, the Nats ticket office is still the worst I've ever dealt with.
Posted by: DE | April 11, 2007 9:44 AM
"Svrluga: Too ugly for the Web. (That's what I'm told, actually.)"
But, Barry, wasn't the person who said that Jorge "ESPN" Arangure?
Posted by: Consider the Source | April 11, 2007 9:47 AM
Is the Post planning on dropping the Os beat writer position? Use the money to spend more time on the Nats farm teams.
Posted by: PowerBoater69 | April 11, 2007 10:42 AM
Nah, you're not too ugly for the web. But you do look far better in person than on TV. Don't know what it is about that tv camera... Not that you looked bad, mind you. Just not the same.
Posted by: CMT | April 11, 2007 11:26 AM
Ok, so here's how baseball ticket offices work. They start from the west coast and move east (save for the Yankees). As part of a project a couple of years ago, I was able to get on the mailing list of all 30 MLB teams as well as those of about a dozen minor league teams. The Padres, Giants and Angels got me ticket information before last season was even over. The M's, A's, Dodgers, Rockies and the Texas teams before hte playoffs had ended. November/December saw the slow that's expected in all of baseball but still Cincy, Cleveland and Tampa Bay got theirs. By the middle of January I had the entire American League and all but the Marlins, Nats and Mets. Guess which two I got by Feb. 1 and which one just came in the mail yesterday? The minor league teams, only one AAA team got me theirs in advance, the Portland Beavers. The rest I got in January/February as their schedules were released. 42 teams, 39 I had their ticket information in hand with schedules by Feb. 1, 41 by Feb. 5. Hmmmmmmm. BTW--I did this with NHL and NBA teams as well and have heard back already from the Caps, Bruins, Flyers, Avalanche and Kings. All 5 before the Nats got me theirs.
Posted by: Tickety Tickets | April 11, 2007 12:28 PM
Maybe we'll see Fruit Loops starting in rfk by september. At least it's SOMETHING good.
Posted by: .390 | April 11, 2007 2:17 PM
Wow, nice work, Tix.
Posted by: Willie Gandebol | April 11, 2007 8:24 PM
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How DARE you imply that some of us are reading about the Nats during work. Gotta go - boss coming ...