Respecting Hector Luna

Most baseball organizations have one or two: quintessential AAAA guys, the ones at the head of the AAA class who are those last guys cut in spring training. Your Jack Custs, your Roberto Petegines, your Brian Lawrences, your Hector Lunas.

The 2010 PCL AAA All-Star roster was announced Thursday and Hector Luna is the lone Zephyr representative (LoMo is in the Future's Game). Luna has been excellent offensively in his first season for the Zs; he leads the team in HRs and RBIs, he's hitting .300, he gets on base (.379 OBP), and he can play all over the field. None of this should be surprising. He hit .349 for Albuquerque last year with a .414 OBP and 17 bombs. His numbers have improved for several years running, culminating in 94 MVP-like games last year for the Dodgers AAA affiliate. Hector Luna has figured out the minor leagues.

Why is this not good enough for the next level? Well, Luna is... "big-bodied" and probably an unrealistic candidate to play any major league position but third base, a strike against someone whose role is likely to be the utility one. Luna is a little like the Dodgers' Ronnie Belliard, who he was actually traded for in 2006. And he strikes out more than you wish he did -- 53 this year in 267 ABs.

All this said, Luna's power numbers this year put him on a pace to shatter last year's. If he follows up this first half with a more or less equal second, you could easily argue that the Zs 30-year-old All Star has found the one thing that has eluded him in his minor league career -- power -- and that somehow, somewhere, Hector Luna deserves one more chance in the show.

Game #78: Zephyrs Win 4-3

Just as Mr.Z ventured to publicly call out the Zs for being incapable of surmounting deficits, they build a fence with single runs in the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings to dramatically squeak by Nashville on the road for a morale-lifting W.

Bryan Petersen, Neil Wilson, and Danny Richar (who had replaced Donnie Murphy) all had clutch two-out RBI hits to cap late-inning rallies off Nashville's bullpen, sparking the Zephyr offense to a rare comeback win. Nashville starter Chuck Lofgren had limited what has recently been a painfully lethargic Zs offense to one run on Donnie Murphy's solo home run in the 2nd, his 12th of the season.

Zs starter and Shreveport native Sean West was solid again in six innings, and seems to be recapturing the potential that Florida saw in him last year, when he was a member of their rotation for 20 starts. West struck out seven and gave up just two runs, though he left behind by a run. When New Orleans tied the game at 2 in the 7th, Nashville answered immediately. Mr.Z fave Adalberto Mendez (the stats are becoming less incredible -- regression to the mean is a bitch) was greeted by Mat Gamel by a loooooong bomb to tie the game. But the Zs showed Mr.Z something in the 9th when they pieced together a rally from a dropped third strike wild pitch (Dawkins), a bloop forceout fielders choice (Luna), and Richar's huge two-out double.

The bottom of the 9th was Benitez time and was pleasantly uneventful, as the big man showed a live fastball and easily shut the door. This was one of those you file under a "team win" but Mr.Z is doling out tonight's HUGE Z to Richar for clutchness.

Richar!

Top 9:
Another huge two-out hit from the Zs. Danny Richar's double off journeyman Chris Smith drove home Gookie Dawkins and gave New Orleans a tenuous lead. Tenuous because Mr.Z thinks Armando Benitez is going to be pegged to close this.

Zephyrs Pull Ahead

Neil Wilson of all people just cracked a two-out double to score Carroll, who had singled. Newcomer Mark Saccomanno will now pinch hit for the pitcher's spot with two outs and two in scoring position.

EDIT: He lined to center to end the threat. Who protects this lead? Strickland? Hmmm.. it's Mendez, and he just gave up a bomb to Gamel to tie it at 3.

The Good, The Bad

Good: The Zephs tied it by pushing across a run in the 7th.

Bad: Brett Sinkbeil -- he of the 6.75 ERA -- is in for West.

EDIT: Sink slithered out of trouble, leaving two on base.

Oh Wow

Bottom 6:
The Zephyrs did something interesting! Brett Carroll just threw out Joe Koshansky at first on a ground-ball single to right. Props to LoMo for even expecting the throw. Mr.Z remembers Jessie Barfield doing that once back in the day. Anyone got some more right fielders who have thrown out guys at first on a single?

Donnie Murphy Removed From the Game

No word why and Steve Miller isn't talking (nor smoking, joking, or midnight toking) with him in the dugout. Murphy probably tweaked something; Richar is in.

Tense Moment in the 6th

Top 6:
The Zs have Gookie on third and Luna on second with two outs. Nashville just brought in Tim Dillard to face Carroll with two outs and two on. Cousins is on deck if they pitch around Carroll.

EDIT: Ugh, Carroll squibs it back to the mound and the Zs are done in the 6th still trailing 2-1.

Game #78: Top 6, Zs Losing 2-1

Top 6
Gookie Dawkins just led off with a double to the wall against Chuck Lofgren, Nashville's starter. He turned widely at second base and obviously thought about third before braking and leaving it to LoMo. More as this unwinds. Zs are down 2-1 and need this run.

Game #77: Zephyrs Lose 10-3

The Zs were drubbed in the first of a three-game set against Nashville Thursday night. Man, when this team falls behind, they're a total snooze. All of their losses since July 15 have been by three runs or more.

Wes Whisler's third start of the year was his worst since his call-up on June 19: 6 runs in 4 innings. The Zephs offense, after scoring two in the first, refused to make it close, fading gently into the Nashville night as the Sounds tacked on runs en route to a 10-3 win. Nashville lefty Chris Waters and an effective Sounds bullpen perpetuated an irritating all-or-nothing Zephyrs offense.

The team's best players, Cameron Maybin and Logan Morrison, provided the only spark, each going 2 for 4. Maybin is hitting .357 with a brilliant (if unsustainable) .486 OBP since being demoted from Florida. Most encouraging is that he's making contact: he's struck out just four times in 28 ABs.

In the tragicomedy department, Armando Benitez pitched one inning for the Zs and gave up four unearned runs.

Game #76: Zephyrs Win 7-0

Metairie native and University of New Orleans product Thomas Diamond was excellent once again in an abbreviated starting pitching performance against his hometown Zephyrs, but the Zs used a breakout fifth inning to win a rain-shortened day game at Zephyr Field 7-0.

Diamond was outstanding, breezing through four innings while giving up just one hit and striking out seven. But soft-tossing veteran Brian Lawrence matched his 0s and the Zs got to former Cub and Notre Dame side receiver Jeff Samardzija before the rains came. Hector Luna blasted a grand slam and Mark Saccomanno -- recently called up to AAA New Orleans from AA Jacksonville -- followed it with a three-run shot. Logan Morrison, playing left field, drew three walks.

Makes you wonder if Florida has something up their sleeve with exactly a month until the looming trade deadline.

Thomas Diamond

From Brien Taylor to Todd van Poppel to David Nied, recent baseball history is loaded with pitching prospect flameouts. Until his turnaround this season, you had to group Metairie native and former UNO star Thomas Diamond right with them: an injury-riddled former first-round draft pick, a symbol of unrealized potential. But Diamond is turning his career around this year. His numbers for Iowa are some of the best in AAA, so good that he could be helpful for a major league club right now.

In three years at the University of New Orleans, Diamond was incredible, racking up the third-most Ks in school history and netting the Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year award in 2004, his dominant junior year. In that year's draft, Diamond was selected 10th overall by Texas and was immediately grouped as part of a Rangers pitching pipeline that included John Danks and Edinson Volquez.

Diamond became something of a minor league folk legend early on in his pro career. While pitching in a 2004 game, he tripped and fell off the mound attempting a pickoff. When he was inevitably razzed by the opposing team, Diamond approached their dugout and promised that the next player who laughed would “wearing a fastball in the temple.” Diamond threw behind the next hitter... then he struck out the side on nine pitches.

It was an early highlight in a career that seemed destined to be loaded with them. But success has been elusive for Diamond.

In 2006 he regressed, particularly with command. His K/BB ratio slipped from 2.45 to 1.85 and after pitching out the season, it was determined that he would need Tommy John surgery in the offseason. Things continued spiraling downhill; after pitching inconsistently following surgery, Texas DFAd him in 2009 and he was signed by the Cubs. But, caught in a roster squeeze, he was DFAd three weeks later only to find he had no other suitors. He remained in Chicago’s system almost by default, and now, a season after being designated twice, he is having his best campaign as a pro and is in contention to start the AAA All-Star game.

Diamond leads the PCL in Ks and his 2.66 ERA is third among all PCL starters. His 1.11 WHIP is also third behind Omaha’s Bryan Bullington and Saturday’s starter for the I-Cubs, Jay Jackson, and Diamond’s current K/BB ratio is sitting at 2.86, his best as a pro.

Today at 11:30 am, Diamond is slated to make his second start this season against his hometown Zephyrs.

Game #76: For Real This Time

Monday night's game was called due to "persistent heavy rains in Southeast Louisiana" (it was never worse than a drizzle) so they'll play a coffee-drinker this morning at 11:30 am and make up the other in Iowa during the July 8-11 series. Which seems unfair.

The Zephyrs are holding over last night's scheduled starter Brian Lawrence and Iowa is throwing Metairie native Thomas Diamond. A profile on Diamond will be Mr.Z's next trick...

Game #76: Preview

The dog days are setting in and at this point the Zs have given little reason to believe they're anything but a .500 team who can't string wins together. Because of Florida's dire bullpen situation, New Orleans's arms have been gutted by the big club, and the parade of constant new players to the team has been dizzying. Welcome to the minor leagues.

Tonight the Zephyrs attempt to avoid losing their their straight to the AAA Cubs. We don't have the sexiest pitching matchup happening, FYI.

June 28, 7:00 CT
New Orleans Zephyrs: 36-39, third in the PCL South
Iowa Cubs (AAA Chicago Cubs): 42-35, T-1st in the PCL North

The Pitching Matchup:

Zs: Brian Lawrence (6-5, 4.35 ERA)








The staff veteran is on the hill tonight for the Zs. You could easily win the argument that Lawrence has been New Orleans's best starter: he's fifth in the PCL with 70 Ks, and although he allows hits and baserunners, he's a classic bend-but-don't-break guy. Sort of... he's also third in the league in HRs surrendered with 13.

Express: J.R. Mathes (6-5, 4.61 ERA)








The I-Cubs are loaded with future major league arms in their starting rotation... and the 28-year-old Mathes probably isn't one of them. But any lefty who averages two ground ball outs per fly out has at least the glimmer of a big-league future. Mathes doesn't walk or strike out a lot of guys -- and like any sinkerballer, he'll give up hits -- but he generally goes six innings and keeps you in the game.

Game #75: Zephyrs Lose 9-2

Another snoozer at Zephyr Field last night as the hometown Zs mounted no offense and submitted slavishly to a superior I-Cubs squad.

The story by now has a familiar ring: VandenHurk puts the Zephyrs in a hole and the offense is flat in response. Just like they did against the helpless Sean West the night before, a talented I-Cubs team jumped all over the New Orleans starter, scoring five in the first three innings off the perpetually shaky VandenHurk, who put 12 runners on base in five innings.

The Zs may have roughed up Iowa's starter Jay Jackson in his previous outing against New Orleans early in the month, but he handcuffed them yesterday over six innings, surrendering a harmless two runs. Scott Maine -- the lefty bullpen gun the Cubs netted from Arizona in exchange for Aaron Heilman in the offseason -- threw two innings of scorless ball in relief of Jackson, impressively fanning five.

Digging for optimism: Brett Carroll doubled and homered and appears to be coming to life following an initial demotion slump. Richar and Luna each had two hits as well.

Game #75: Preview

After a drubbing last night, the Zephyrs look to the unsteady Dutchman Rick VandenHurk tonight in the sweltering New Orleans heat.

June 27, 6:00 CT
New Orleans Zephyrs: 36-38, third in the PCL South
Iowa Cubs (AAA Chicago Cubs): 41-35, T-1st in the PCL North

The Pitching Matchup:

Zs: Rick VandenHurk (4-3, 5.70 ERA)








Trying to drum up positive commentary about VandenHurk's season is like saying we're pretty sure Armando Benitez is the answer to the Marlins' bullpen issues. In fact, Florida's bullpen situation is dire enough that VandenHurk himself received the obligatory tryout a few weeks ago... and was miserable in limited time, garnering him a company trip back to New Orleans. VandenHurk is an extreme fly-ball pitcher; this year they're splitting the gaps.

Express: Jay Jackson (3-6, 3.68 ERA)








This will be the second time Jackson has faced the Zs this season. At the beginning of the month, New Orleans beat him up in Iowa, tallying six runs in six innings. He's since had a few unsteady starts after a terrific beginning of the season, so it's possible he's showing some signs of wear. Last year Jackson threw his highest total of innings (127) and he's already at 78 this season. He's started and pitched in relief this season and has significantly better numbers out of the pen. Lefties hit him well. Projects as a back-end big-league starter. Real name: Randy.

What's New

After nearly two weeks, Mr.Z is back in the game... and how things have changed.

It's an eerie sensation when the distant, forgotten past jumps to life. Yes, I reference Armando Benitez. Here's an attempt to recap what the Zeph has gone on:

*The Zephyrs went 6-7 in Mr.Z's absence, essentially treading water on their just-under-.500 record for the season. This included getting swept in four games by division nemesis Oklahoma City, so it could have been worse.

*ARMANDO BENITEZ. Almost impossibly, you're reading this correctly. This is how bad Florida's bullpen is. The Marlins inked the once-beleaguered big-league closer to a minor league deal and he's worked two spotless innings. We also hear Keith Foulke and Matt Mantei are available. The big heart attack last saw big league innings with Toronto in 2008 and had his last effective season in 2004, when he was arguably the best closer in baseball with Florida.

*Cameron Maybin is back in New Orleans. This is a good thing. You can read Mr.Z's argument below that Maybin wasn't getting anything out of being on Florida's bench due to the Mike Stanton effect. He needs to dramatically improve his pitch selectivity, and remember -- the kid is just 23, the second-youngest player on the Zephyrs. Maybin has raked at a .444 clip over five games and has three walks and no Ks.

*The Marlins fired Fredi Gonzalez, leading to the promotion of Zs manager Edwin Rodriguez as Florida's interim manager. E-Rod had his official interview for the job on a full-time basis yesterday.

*LoMo will play in the Futures Game on July 11.

Game #74: Zs Lose 13-2

Ugly one last night in New Orleans, as Sean West was roughed up for the first time this year and the Zs never had a chance against the Iowa Cubs.

The carnage began early. After inducing a fly ball from the leadoff hitter, the top of the first went like this: double, error, double, error, single, error, ground out, single, single, ground out. 5-0 I-Cubs. West would later give up a couple homers in the 4th and exit after 3 1/3 and 10 runs.

A few positives: ever the yeoman, Adalberto Mendez did his usual good work for the Zs in relief of West, going 2 2/3 and striking out five while giving up no runs, settling things down momentarily before Olenberger (who just doesn't have it this season -- 8.00 ERA) gave up three runs over two innings.

LoMo is up to a .321 BAA and a terrific .416 OBP. He has a 1/1 walk-to-strikeout ratio, extremely impressive for a 22-year-old.