By, Howard Rourke

6/7/2009: Yuma, AZ – The Kalamazoo Badgers now sit on top of the Great Lakes division.  John Collins thinks it’s about time because they are the only team in the division that resides in the home of the Great Lakes: Michigan.  The ascent was a total surprise to all involved, as top players like CF George Crocker and star pitcher Er Hang were both sidelined with minor injuries.  But as great teams do, role players and underachievers vastly increased their productivity.  The team’s player of the week is LF Bernard Phillips.  He had an astounding 6-game stretch where he batted .407 while smashing 3 homers and stealing 3 bases.  He is currently one steal behind the PEBA’s leader in stolen bases, the Badgers’s own Raúl García.

In the midst of the team’s successful week was the PEBA’s first year player draft.  GM David Ellison feels he got an outstanding haul.  When preparing for the draft, the front office wanted to strengthen their starting pitching depth.  The most important weights they used in their evaluations were velocity, statistics and the opinion of scout Benedetto Bregonzi.  Velocity ended up one of the first and foremost requirements when David Ellison noticed 85% of the OSA’s top 20 pitchers had velocity of over 90 mph and fully 100% could reach top speeds of at least 90.  As a result, the addition of USCBA All-Star King Adams and flamethrower Stephen Carpenter brings a lot of excitement to Kalamazoo.

The top offensive player drafted and heading to Ketchikan is 3B José González.  José González led all of college baseball in home runs when his time with Seton Hall came to and end.  He also flashed outstanding speed and leather, leading to his second round selection and Kalamazoo’s hope that he becomes a five-tool standout.

There have also been new additions that found their way to Kalamazoo via trade that have made their presence felt.  These new Badgers are OF Dave Lewis and MR Powell Lilley.  While patrolling all the outfield positions in admirable fashion, Lewis has also been able to bat .327 and has been a solid addition to the lineup.  He has been especially important with Crocker being sidelined last week.  Lilly has been up and down, but mostly up as he adjusts to new surroundings.  He appeared in three contests last week and scattered four hits over four and two-thirds innings.  These new additions – along with the return of Hang and Crocker – lead to high hopes for Kalamazoo to keep their place on top of the division.

Week Highlights:

The top happening of the week was SP José Chávez’s resurgence.  He finally got his chance to go into orbit in the Cosmic Adapter for Excellence and has now returned to his All-Star form.  In his last two starts he has only allowed one earned run in 14 innings. Also expectedly, SS Raúl García won his second consecutive Rookie of the Month award.  Both of these contributed to Kalamazoo’s success in their series versus former division leader Crystal Lake, where we took two of three.

Prospect Prospectus:

Injuries have led to the early call up of top prospects Joel Swedlove and Álex Martínez.  Swedlove has experienced great success in AAA while also picking up valuable experience at first base.  Last week he had an OPS of over 1.000 and also tallied a couple stolen bases.  CF Álex Martínez on the other hand begins this week trying to make his case to be a PEBA regular next season (if not earlier).  The Grand Rapids Rafters (AAA) are also eager for the return of 3B prospect Henry O'Halloran, who should be back in two weeks.  He is having his best season to date and might not stay in AAA for long after he returns.

The Hamilton Industrialists (AA) have proven to be a perfect incubator for the Badgers’s young talent.  RF Don Stewart is well on his way to his second strong season and 19-year-old 2B Héctor Valenzuela continues to display the promise that will one day land him in the PEBA.  The organization continues to be amazed by the pitching staff, especially relievers Hugh MacLardy, Xiao-yan Chao, Mike Brown and Sergio Cruz.  All of the aforementioned have an ERA of less than 2.26.  Russell Polston, the former star of the Industrialists’s staff, is now 2-0 in AAA Grand Rapids since his recent promotion.

In the last month, the Nampa Moccasins (Hi-A) have turned into a tinderbox of young talent, and multiple prospects are now cementing their place in the organization and looking forward to taking the next step.  Of these performers, 2B Raúl Méndez is the most noteworthy and will provide a stiff challenge to Valenzuela as second baseman of the future.  The cupboard is not bare but actually overflowing with talent when it comes to the outfield, as right fielders Jonathan English and Francisco Debesa have exciting outlooks.