Bisons Split Series With Wings

This past weekend kicked off the 2nd series that these 2 teams have played this season. After splitting this series, the Herd move to 5-3 against their state rival (not actually sure if there is a real rivalry). 

Saturday's start feature Kyle Gibson carving up the Bisons hitters like some type of meat that you would carve and then eat.

A huge positive coming out of game 1 was the spot start made by Buddy Carlyle in replacement of Justin Germano who was poached by the Blue Jays. Buddy the Elf went 4 innings, striking out 7 and not allowing a run. Clint Everts (coming up from AA New Hampshire) threw 3 innings giving up the lone run in the game and taking the loss.  

The offense was over matched by Gibson, only able to get 2 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 7 times against Gibson (11 strikeouts in total).

Game 2 was back to the expected. Edgar Gonzalez was decent in his 5.1 IP, doing just enough to earn the win. The bullpen locked down the win with 3.2 IP of shutout baseball.

Multi-hit games from Anthony Gose (2-4), Moises Sierra (3-4), and Andy LaRoche (2-4) led the way, while Ryan Langerhans added a HR.

Game 3 wasn't much different from game 2, with the small exception of the outcome. Miguel Batista had basically a mirror start of Gonzalez, throwing 5.1 IP and allowing 3 runs. Juan Perez gave up a run in the bottom of the 8th, which was the game winner for the Wings.

The offense was led by multi-hit games from Moises Sierra (2-4), Luis Jimenez (2-4), and Andy LaRoche (2-4). Jimenez had a 2B and a 3B driving in 2 runs.

Today's series finale had David Bush doing what he does. 6 IP and 1 run with 5 K for Bush, cruising to the win. Ramon Ortiz threw 2.2 IP in relief, but got into a little trouble in the 9th, with Neil Wagner coming on for the bail-out save.

The offensive leader for the Herd was Josh Thole, who went 4-4 with a HR and 2 RBI. Other multi-hit efforts came from Luis Jimenez (2-4) and Ryan Goins (2-4). Mauro Gomez added his 2nd stolen base of the season. 

The Bisons finish out the month 17-7 and in 1st place in their division. They have been a really impressive 11-3 on the road. 

The Herd feature the top 2 hitters in the league in Jim Negrych and Luis Jimenez.

Negrych is hitting .429/.486/.683 with 8 2B, 1 3B, and 2 HR. 

Jimenez is hitting .373/.440/.653 with 4 2B, 1 3B, and 5 HR.

They also have Ryan Langerhans. Moises Sierra and Mauro Gomez who are certainly doing their part.

Langerhans is hitting .298/.412/.579 with 2 2B, 1 3B, and 4 HR.

Sierra is hitting .389/.430/.542 with 6 2B, 1 3B, and 1 HR.

Gomez is hitting .281/.414/.614 with 5 2B, 1 3B, and 4 HR.

Eugenio Velez and Josh Thole have also been excellent, while Anthony Gose and Andy LaRoche have been solid.

Velez is hitting .310/.394/.517 with 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, and 4 SB.

Thole is hitting .379/.438/.569 with 3 2B, 1 3B, and 2 HR.

Gose is hitting .250/.370/.345 with 3 2B, 1 3B, and 1 HR.

LaRoche is hitting .273/.326/.442 with 1 2B and 4 HR.

It would be nice to see Gose start dominating games. He's walking a lot, but is getting thrown out on the bases way too much. He has 3 steals, but has been thrown out 4 times and picked off twice.

On the pitching side, Dave Bush has been straight dealing so far. In 4 starts, Bush has thrown 22.1 innings with a 1.61 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. He also has a 17-4 K-BB ratio. Claudio Vargas is right behind him with a 2.35 ERA in 23 IP. 

Neil Wagner is 3rd in the IL with 7 saves (1 behind the leaders) with a 1.93 ERA ans 1.18 WHIP. He has 14 K in 9.1 IP. 

As far as team stats go, the Bisons are domination the IL so far. They have a .305/.380/.480 slash line as a team. They lead the league in HR with 27 (2 ahead of 2nd) and have struck out 26 times less than the next lowest team.

Next up for the Bisons are the Louisville Bats, the AAAffiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. Billy Hamilton rolls into town and hopefully isn't on base enough for him to show why he is one of the most exciting players in the Minor Leagues.

Rochester Preview

The Bisons travel to New York to take on the AAA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.

The scheduled starters for the series are the following:

Game 1:
Kyle Gibson. The top pitching prospect for the Twins (5 overall, according to Sickels), Gibson appears fully recovered from Tommy John surgery. and looks to make quick work of the International league and crack the weak Twins rotation. He should be ready soon. He should be a tough challenge for the Herd.

Game 2:
Liam Hendriks. The Australian born 24 year old has over 100 innings in the Majors already over 3 partial seasons, including 2 starts this season. He is a control type, and needs to have sharp command to be successful. This could be a good match-up for the Bisons and their potent bats.

Game 3:
Virgil Vasquez. Has 2 partial season in the Majors (2007 and 2009), but his mediocre Minor League numbers since have kept him in the Minors and Indy ball. This has the potential to be a nice outing for the Bisons bats.

Game 4:
Andrew Albers. Canadian (Saskatchewan native) Albers gets his 1st crack at AAA at age 27. To get a nice background on Andrew Albers, a friend of mine wrote a great article on him during his time with Team Canada. Click here.

Interesting hitters on the team include:

OF Joe Benson. John Sickels has him as the 14th best prospect in the system, but says his grade is generous and 2013 is a really important year, as he could left behind. He does flash quality tools though, and should be a tough out all series.

1B Chris Colabello, the "Italian" slugger from the WBC (not really Italian), has gotten off to hot start to 2013 with 6 HR. He's 29, so not a prospect, but he should be interesting to watch.

Ex-MLB hitters include:

OF Clete Thomas, who had flashes of success in Detroit.

IF Ray Olmedo, who has MLB time with a few teams, including the Blue Jays.

C Chris Hermann, a fringy catching prospect who is reliant on his bat and still working on his defense.

IF Eric Farris, utility player with experience with the Brewers.

C Eric Fryer, utility player who had a brief appearance with the Pirates.

1B Jeff Clement, former "can't miss" prospect who missed by a fucking mile. Has MLB time with Seattle and Pittsburgh.

C Drew Butera, an all-glove receiver who lost his back-up job to no-glove Ryan Doumit on the MLB squad. Enough said.

OF Brandon Boggs, an athletic, intriguing player with time with the Rangers and Brewers. An on-base machine who has never put it all together.

Here's hoping for at least 3 of 4 against a team that appears to be built very well for providing capable back-ups to the MLB squad.

Paw Sox Get Pawed

The Herd "entered" Pawtucket this week, and took 3 of 4 against a quality squad to cement 1st place early in the season. (Yes, that was a rape joke). 

In other news, the Blue Jays have selected Justin Germano to continue their frustrating roller coaster of roster shuffling. Justin should be good to go today as he hasn't started since last series and should give them length if they need it.

Back to the beating the Bisons laid on the Sox this week. (Beating is probably too strong a word, but fuck it. 1st place!)

Game 1 was a nice little victory. The Sox got off to a 3-0 lead in the 1st inning as Edgar Gonzalez started off rocky. He settled in and pitched 5.1, giving up 7 hits, striking out 4, and walking 1.

The offense was led by Luis Jimenez (2-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI) and Josh Thole (3-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI). In other news, #FREEJOSHTHOLE. Mauro Gomez and Jim Negrych added 2 hits also.

Game 2 was the day portion of a double header on Thursday, with the Bisons losing 8-3. The defense cost them some runs, as a Ryan Goins error helped a 8 run 6th inning for the PawSox. Dave Bush started and went 5.1, giving up 5 (2 earned) on 4 hits, while striking out 3 and walking 3.

The offense was led by Moises Sierra (2-3, 2 2B) and a scattering of hits throughout the lineup. 

Game 3 saw the Bisons record their 1st shutout of the season, blanking the Sox 4-0. Ramon Ortiz returned to the Herd to throw 5 innings, scattering 2 hits and 2 walks and striking out 4.

The hitters looking good early, getting out to a 2-0 lead in the 1st and coasting to the win, scattering 2 more single run innings in the 3rd and 4th. The hitting star of the game was Mike McCoy (2-4, HR, SB).

The final game was an 8-4 victory Friday night, with Claudio Vargas doing just enough to get the W. He threw 6 innings, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits and walking 2, while whiffing 4.

The bats came out to shine in this one, with 4 hitters having multi-hit efforts. Moises Sierra (2-4, HR), Luis Jimenez (3-4, HR), Josh Thole (2-4, 3B), and Jim Negrych (3-4, 2 2B).

The Bisons now have the top 3 sluggers in the International League. Impressive. Jim Negrych, Mauro Gomez, and Luis Jimenez are putting up PCL numbers for the Herd. It would nice to see these guys keep it up and maybe get a call-up to the Blue Jays if they continue have trouble putting offense together.

Next up for the Bisons are the Red Wings, the Twins affiliate. I'll have a preview hopefully before the end of the first game. 

Scheduled starter Justin Germano is up with the big club, so Buddy Carlyle will get the spot start, with the bullpen on early call. He will oppose Twins top prospect Kyle Gibson. Should be exciting.

Pawtucket Preview

The PawSox roll into Buffalo tonight to take on the 1st place Bisons in a battle for top spot in the division.

The PawSox have an impressive group of players that should give the Bisons a good battle over the next 4 games.

Their rotation features 2 of their top prospects, Rubby De La Rosa and Allan Webster, who is coming off of a solid MLB debut for the Red Sox on Sunday.

OF Jackie Bradley Jr. is their #2 prospect according to John Sickels, and has spent time in the Majors this season. Bradley cracked the opening day roster with a hot spring, but showed he wasn't quite ready for prime time as he struggled until he was demoted. He and Gose make an impressive prospect battle in CF.

SP Allen Webster is the #5 prospect, and is a ground ball pitcher who can reach the upper 90's. His repertoire sounds a lot like Justin Masterson to me.

OF Bryce Brentz in the #6 prospect and is a OBP/power type, who Sickels compares to a Ryan Ludwick type.

SS Jose Iglesias was a Cuban import who defected and signed a nice contract with the Red Sox. He's not unlike former Jays prospect Adeiny Hechavarria. He's an all-world glove man who struggles with the bat.

Also, no longer a prospect, but Rubby De La Rosa is another hard throwing pitching prospect, who came over with Allen Webster from the Dodgers in The Trade last August.

A couple guys I like from the PawSox are former Jays farmhand Jonathan Diaz, an IF with a slick glove. Brock Holt is a LH hitting 2B who came over from Pittsburgh in the offseason Hanrahan deal. Holt is a Joe Inglett type, who "knows how to play the game" and gets the job done.

Other starters on the PawSox who we should see a lot of: 1B Brandon Snyder (spent 2012 with the Rangers in MLB), IF Drew Sutton (experience with Braves, Pirates, Rays), OF Jeremy Hazelbaker (a fringy prospect who is getting results so far this season), OF Justin Henry, 1B Mark Hamilton (experience with the MLB Cardinals), and C Ryan Lavarnaway (former top prospect who still has some potential left).

Hazelbaker leads the team with 4 HR and Snyder has 3 so far this season. This is a team that gets on base and can score a lot of runs.

Terry Doyle has been their best pitcher so far, throwing 24.1 IP with a 1.48 ERA/0.82 WHIP. Chris Carpenter has been a K machine, whiffing 19 in just 9.1 IP.

Edgar Gonzalez goes to the hill for the Herd tonight against Rubby De La Rosa. Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger goes tomorrow, followed by Allan Webster. The Bisons, as usual, appear to be going with the dreaded TBA.

Let's battle for 1st place.

Bisons Sweep Pigs

Another dominating series for the Herd this weekend. The only difference was the way they beat the Iron Pigs. The pitching really came through and held down a solid club to 8 runs in 4 games.

The starters (Dave Bush, Claudio Vargas, Miguel Batista, and Justin Germano) threw 25 innings, allowing 6 runs (4 earned) on 24 hits. They struck out 18 and walked 5. The relievers were solid too, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits in 7 innings. They struck out 11, while walking 6.

The offense didn't really have any stand out performances. Moises Sierra had a good game 1, but left game 2 with an injury and hasn't played since. He contributed a 1-2 with a BB and a SB while scoring twice and throwing out a runner at the plate.

The usual suspects contributed, with Luis Jimenez going 5-15 with 4 RBI and Gomez 3-13 (4 BB) with 2 RBI. Anthony Gose went 4-12 (4 BB) with a HR and 3 RBI.

Next up, the Bisons host the Red Sox.

Series preview later tonight or tomorrow.

Until next time.

Sleepy Saturday

Another double header for the Bisons today as they look to take 2 against the Iron Pigs. Dave Bush versus Ethan Martin in game 1 and Claudio Vargas vs Zach Miner in game 2, as the Pigs switch things up on me.

In other news, Iron Pigs LHP Joe Savery has been summoned to the Majors and RHP Jeremy Jeffress has cleared waivers and should join the Bisons.

It's going to be a busy day, as the Jays host the Yankees, the Bisons play 2, and the Fisher Cats play on MiLB.tv today.

Recaps tomorrow hopefully. Enjoy.

Series Preview for Lehigh Valley

The Bisons will head to Lehigh Valley to take on the Iron Pigs (sweet name), who are the AAA affiliate for the Philadelphia Phillies. They are coming off a series against the Paw Sox where they won 3 of 4 and scored 31 runs.

The Pigs have an interesting roster, consisting of 5 of their top 10 prospects according to John Sickels. They also have their bullpen stacked full of arms that have MLB experience.

Their bullpen features lefties Cesar Jimenez (1.74 ERA in 4 G), Jake Diekman, and Joe Savery (0.00 ERA in 5 G). Also righties Zach Miner, Michael Stutes, and #17 prospect Justin DeFractus (0.00 ERA in 5 G). The Bisons should be in tough trying to comeback from deficits and trying to tack on late runs.

Their offense is less impressive on paper. The most intriguing name is Darin Ruf (#7 prospect) who blasted 41 HR in AA last season and got a call to the Phillies. He could be a big power bat, or a guy who took advantage of players 3-5 years younger than himself. He has 2 HR so far this season.

The starting pitching seems to be the question mark, where young arms look to develop. The starters are all RH (bodes well for the bats) and are Adam Morgan, B.J. Rosenberg, Ethan Martin (#8 prospect), Tyler Cloyd, and Jonathan Pettibone (#5 prospect).

Other intriguing bats on the roster are #4 prospect catcher Tommy Joseph, former White Sox 3B Josh Fields, Canadians Tyson Gillies and Pete Orr, and #6 prospect Cody Asche.

The Bisons haven't announced their starters yet (probably because the Jays keep calling up their guys), but the Pigs will send out Martin, Rosenberg, and Cloyd in the first 3 games.

Hopefully the Bisons feast on some (insert pork/bacon joke here) this weekend.

Bisons - Chiefs Series At A Glamce

How about that series? The Buffalo Bison absolutely destroyed the Chiefs today in route to the 4 game series sweep.

I'm going to start with today's game because it's fresh in my mind and it carried some cool stories.

First, congratulations to Marty Brown on his achievement today, tying for 2nd all time in modern era wins with his 24th.

The Bison won 27-9 batting around 4 times in the game. Jim Negrych hit for the cycle, Sierra went 6-6, Langerhans hit 2 HR and drove in 6, and Luis Jimenez drove in 8.

Game 1 was a nice 6-1 win with Claudio Vargas throwing 7 strong innings. Mauro Gomez went 4-4 with 2 HR and Velez added a HR of his own.

The Bisons won a couple of 1 run games on Wednesday as they swept the doubleheader.

Some notable performances in the series were the following:

Jim Negrych: 6-15, hit for cycle in game 4. Scored 6 runs, driving in 3.

Moises Sierra: 7-14, scoring 6 rubs and driving in 4.

Mauro Gomez: 7-15 with 4 BB, 3 HR. Scored 7 runs, driving in 5.

Josh Thole: 5-13 with 4 RBI.

Ryan Goins: 6-17 with 3 runs scored and driven in. Looked good versus lefty pitching.

Luis Jimenez: 6-11 with 3 BB, a HR, and 8 RBI.

Ryan Langerhans: 4-12, 2 HR, 8 RBI.

The Bisons were 20-43 with runners in scoring position.

The pitching wasn't impressive, but it was enough to hold the Chiefs down and take the sweep.

Some notable names for Syracuse:

Chris Marrero: 5-14, 2 HR, 4 RBI.

Micah Owings: 3-7, 3B, 2 RBI.

Dan Rosenbaum: 6 IP, 2 base runners in game 1 loss.

I'll have a preview of the upcoming series tomorrow.

Syracuse Chiefs Scouting Report

Since I've had a crazy amount of down time at work today, I've been reading up on the Chiefs players and decided to do my preview ahead of the series starting today.

Starting with the most interesting, former Major League pitcher Micah Owings is now a position player. This is interesting because in 219 career PA as a pitcher/pinch hitter, Owings owns a slash line of .283/.310/.502 and 9 HR. with all time dedicated to hitting, Owings could be an asset in the Majors.

The prospects in Syracuse aren't glamorous, but there are some future pieces here.

CF Eury Perez is a speed demon with ability to hit for average. He doesn't walk much, so his numbers rest solely on his ability to find holes and slap the ball through. John Sickels at Minor League Ball has Perez as the 10th best prospect.

IF Zach Walters is the 12th rank prospect and was acquired from the Diamondbacks for Jason Marquis in 2011. Walters is a utility type with a strong arm and good pop.

3B Carlos Rivero was claimed on waivers prior to 2012 and put up a .303/.347/.435 slash in 2012 earning a 40-man roster spot and adding intrigue as a prospect. He has a good glove and profiles as a utility type.

OF Corey Brown is getting old for a prospect at 27, but he boasts impressive tools. Brown could be considered a 4 tool player, with his ability to hit for patience and power, play good defense with a strong arm, and run. Brown is ranked #22 by Sickels and profiles as a 4th OF.

Chris Marrero is a 1B who was once a top 100 prospect in baseball. He came up for a cup of coffee with the Nats in 2011, but spent 2012 hurt and recovering at 5 levels. Still just 24, Marrero has the power/patient approach that could lead to still having a future in the Majors.

A couple of Nationals organizational players were selected by teams in the off season Rule V draft, but returned.

LHP Dan Rosenbaum was selected by the Rockies after posting a 3.61 ERA and 1.238 WHIP in 194.2 ip at AA in 2011/2012. He doesn't strike many people out (5.8 K/9) but shows good command. Dan started his 2013 with 5 scoreless innings.

UT Jeff Kobernus was selected by Boston and traded to Detroit, but returned during spring. He has progressed a level each season, playing a full season at each stop. He has showed consistent results as a decent average/low walk/low power hitter. The utility player is off to a torrid .556/594/.777 start.

Other notable players include Canadian 4-corner guy Jimmy Van Ostrand, ex-Blue Jay closer Jeremy Accardo, and MLB veterans Chris Young, JC Romero, Bill Bray, Ross Ohlendorf, and the now starting Ryan Perry, the former "closer is the future" for the Tigers and a personal favourite of mine.

Well, that's it for now. Should be a fun series with some familiar faces. Action kicks off at 6pm ET with Claudio Vargas vs Dan Rosenbaum. Should be a beauty.

Double Bill

I got my 1st taste of Triple A baseball yesterday and I've got to say that I'm impressed.

Game 1 started off a little rocky for Dave Bush and I was getting a bit worried, but Bush escaped a tough 1st inning with just 1 unearned run. He cruised through 4 more innings, allowing a total of 3 hits on the day.

Brad Lincoln pitched a rocky shutout 6th and Juan Perez pitched a clean 7th to finish it off.

Anthony Gose had an interesting game. He went 3-4, but was thrown out trying to steal and also picked off. He's going to need to be successful on the bases if he wants to return to Toronto. He played a good CF too, gliding to everything with ease.

Ryan Goins had the big hit, a bases clearing 2B off a LH reliever in the 1st inning. Andy LaRoche added a couple hits and Josh Thole added a 2 RBI single.

Yankees former top prospect Dellin Betances got the start for the bad guys and got shelled, giving up 6 ER in 2/3 of an inning. The bullpen held it together, but it was too little in a 6-1 Bisons win.

Game 2 was a different story.

New signing Miguel Batista got the start and was not sharp, giving up 3 hits and a walk. Shaky defense led to 2 unearned runs of the 3 given up.

Waiver wire pickup Mickey Storey didn't fare much better, but did give the Herd 2.1 innings of work. He surrendered 3 runs of his own (all earned) on 2 hits and 2 walks.

Ex-Brave Buddy Carlyle added fuel to the fire, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) on 3 hits and 3 walks in 1.2 ip.

Alex Hinshaw came on and cleaned up after Buddy, posting a hitless 1.1 ip. He did manage to impressively walk 4.

Neil Wagner finished the day by giving up 2 ER on 3 hits and a walk.

All together, the Bisons pitchers walked 11. The defense made 3 errors. This was an ugly game.

The offense was pretty good in game 2, but they just couldn't keep up.

Super utility man Mike McCoy led off and was 2-2 adding 2 walks. Langerhans and Negrych added 2 hits apiece, while Velez hit a triple and drove in 3.

The Bisons are now 4-4 on the season, as they travel to Syracuse to take on the Nationals affiliate for 4 games.

Tonight or tomorrow I'm going to take a look at the Syracuse roster and share my thoughts on some of their key players and prospects.

Until next time.

Some intriguing AA New Hampshire Prospects

While I await the start of today's double header featuring the debut of MLB vet Dave Bush, I've decided to have a look downward and see what's on the horizon as far as talent goes at the AA level.

The Jays have a bit of depth in AA, but I'm going to focus on the guys Baseball America tabbed in their top 30.

5. RHP Marcus Stroman.
Drafted 22 overall last June out of Dule, Stroman is on the fast track and was detailed near the end of 2012 by a suspension. Stroman could have a future as either a starter or reliever, with scouts mixed on his future because of his size. Despite being 5'9" Stroman can throw gas maxing out around 98 as a RP. He also features 2 sliders at different speeds and breaks and a solid change-up.
Once his suspension ends in May, we should see what his future holds. If he is sent to AA, it will mostly be as a RP, but if he goes to Dunedin, it could mean starting is the plan. Personally, I would hate to see a 1st round pick have his value hurt and would love to see what he can do as a SP.

7. RHP John Stilson
Stilson was a beast in the NCAA in 2010, but suffered a shoulder injury that lowered his stock into the 3rd round where the Jays pounced and took a $500,000 gamble. He debuted in 2012 and made it up to AA New Hampshire where he was used in a swing role starting 9 of his 17 games.
He hasn't appeared in a game yet so his role is not clear, but Stilson features a FB at 93-96 and a great change-up with big movement. He also throws a slurve type pitch which the effectiveness of will determine his eventual role.

11. C A.J. Jimenez
Another player with injury questions that cost him rounds in the draft, Jimenez had questions about his elbow that pushed him into the 9th round in 2008. He became the organizations best defensive catcher over the next 4 years until his elbow finally gave out, costing him his debut season in AA.
A.J. has actually hit pretty well too. Back to back .300 seasons in Lansing and Dunedin in 2010/2011 propelled him up the ranks. Now the organizations brightest catching prospect, he will look to continue his success at AA in 2013.

18. RHP Chad Jenkins
Jenkins actually made an appearance in the Majors last year even after not great performance in AA. He was actually pretty impressive in his limited time showing a nice sinker giving a lite hope that the former 20th overall pick can be a decent swing guy.

19. LHP Sean Nolin
A 6th round pick in 2010, Nolin has risen the ranks based on performance in Lansing and Dunedin in 2011/2012. He also showed up in AA and performed exceptionally well in his brief stint.
Nolin throws a FB that ranges 88-94, a high 80s 2-seamer, a solid change-up, and a curve/slider mix. He could continue to rise quickly and has a shot to see Toronto this season.

20. RHP Deck McGuire
Selected 11th overall in 2011, Deck was seen as a safe pick to rise up quickly and be a back end workhorse in Toronto's rotation. Well, things haven't exactly gone as planned. He got crushed in AA in 2012 leading the league in losses (15), HR allowed (22), runs (103) and earned runs (94).
He throws a sinker/slider combo which is solid and fringy change-up/curveball combo. He still has a shot to be a swing type in Toronto, but his future now looks more yo-yo like.

That's it for now. Time to watch some Bisons baseball. Go Herd!

Rainy Day Blues

Of course the inaugural day of Going Going Gose is a rain out. A nice omen I'm sure. Since I have nothing new to view Bisons related, I'm going to have a look back at the week and go over some things that, small sample size alert, look good and things that look not so good.

First, the big news. Miguel Batista has been signed to pitch for the Herd. Batista is a long time Major League veteran and has even pitched previously for the Blue Jays. He should serve as yet another quality arm for the Bisons pitching staff.

Also, Jose Reyes was injured in a sick looking accident on Friday night in Kansas City and has been replaced on the big league roster by Bisons IF Munenori Kawasaki, a tiny little Japanese player that molds himself after Ichiro. Kawasaki was 2-5 with 2 BB in 2 games for the Herd. He has experience with the Mariners in 2012 posting a .459 OPS in 61 games.

The thing that is intriguing about the 2013 Buffalo Bisons is their roster construction. It seems that the lack of upper level prospects in the Jays system has resulted in a who's that of Minor League veterans and former Major Leaguers looking to win a championship for the city of Buffalo.

The only notable players on the roster with upside are Anthony Gose, Moises Sierra, and my personal favourite Ryan Goins. You could lump Josh Thole into that group as well if you felt compelled.

Gose is off to a solid start, trying to quiet some noise that his 2012 season was solely a product of Cashman Stadium and the PCL. He's got a .370 OBP with a couple extra base hits. He's 0-1 in steals so far as well. Gose is the best positional prospect in the Jays system and with good performance could push Colby Rasmus out of town.

Sierra is also off to fast start. He's not showing much power yet with just 1 extra base hit, but he's got an .895 OPS. Sierra has a cannon for an arm and I suspect he'd be the first OF recalled if someone is needed.

Ryan Goins (along with his draft buddy Ryan Schimpf) has always been one of my favourite prospects to follow. He's never had much press and never put up a noteworthy season. He just goes out and plays solid baseball. Now, I've never seen him play and he may be an absolute butcher defensibly, but Goins seems like the type that could come up and play a utility role and become a fan favourite in Toronto much in the way Howie Clark was years ago.

Thole came over in the R.A. Dickey deal and is essentially replacing Travis d'Arnaud on the AAA roster. He's off to a hot start with a .962 OPS. Thole is a singles/doubles type hitter with little power but a patient approach. He has experience catching the knuckler of Dickey and should see time in the Majors if Arencibia or Blanco are injured.

A couple other notable 1st week numbers come from Andy LaRoche, brother of Nationals 1B Adam. Andy was a one-time "can't miss prospect" and is now Jose Bautista of AAA with 3 HR and a 1.139 OPS.

Luis Jimenez looks the furthest thing from a professional athlete, but he's usually good for 15-20 HR. He's also fun to root for because he is a fatty. I'm allowed to call him that because I am too a tubby bitch. He's got 2 HR to start the season and I look forward to seeing him live when I travel to Buffalo to watch this team.

The rest of the roster is filled with players with extensive Minor League experience like Mike McCoy, Buffalo native Jim Negrych, Lance Zawadski (currently on DL), Eugenio Velez, Mauro Gomez, Canadians Mike Nickeas & Adam Loewen, and Ryan Langerhans.

The pitching performances are too early to even pretend they mean something, so I will leave those for another day.

Hopefully the weather clears up tomorrow so I can get my 1st view of the new Buffalo Bisons.

Until next time.

Welcome

So. I have decided 2 things this morning.

1. The Internet needs a place to house thoughts on the 2013 International League champion Buffalo Bisons.

2. I need to get MiLB.com tv.

Starting soon, I will be posting thoughts on the AAA affiliate of my favourite team, the Toronto Blue Jays. I will also dabble in prospects at the lower levels and the draft.

I am by no means an expert, but hopefully I bring some insight and create some dialog amongst fellow Jays fans.

Enjoy