grantpaulsen.com » 2008

Jeremy Guthrie: Legitimate Ace

August 27th, 2008

I started a new class at George Mason University today. It’s an elective that I thought sounded cool. In the class I will learn the fundamentals of sports coaching. I figured that if I am going to cover sports - and in turn deal with and work alongside coaches forever - I may as well have a better understanding for what makes them tick and for what they are going through.

And I think it would be kind of cool to coach High School football one day a few decades from now. But that isn’t important right now. Nor is the class I just told you about. Read the rest »

Posted by Grant Paulsen Filed in General, MLB, Baltimore Orioles

Wayne Krivsky on Minors and Majors

August 24th, 2008

Wayne Krivsky, who began the season as the General Manager of the Cincinnati Reds, joined me on my show Minors and Majors this week. I talked with him about the deadline to sign draft picks, which came and went last weekend, and asked him to explain how it is that a team like the Washington Nationals can let the deadline pass without inking a player they invested a top-10 pick in.

I also asked Krivsky about the plans that Major League Baseball has to implement instant replay before the end of the season. I was surprised to find out that he wasn’t entirely for the implementation of instant replay before season’s end. Here is what Krivsky had to say on the topic. Read the rest »

Posted by Grant Paulsen Filed in General, MLB

Minors & Majors: Aug. 23rd

August 22nd, 2008

Mike Stanton and Matt Dominguez will be joining the show tomorrow morning at 9:30 am east. I’ll talk to the Greensboro teammates about their fast starts as first-year minor leaguers.

Catch Minors and Majors tomorrow morning from 8-10 am eastern on MLB Home Plate, XM 175. Read the rest »

Posted by Grant Paulsen Filed in General, MLB

Phelps is a Fish

August 16th, 2008

Two years ago this weekend I was sitting in Aberdeen, Maryland providing color commentary for the Ripken Baseball World Series on XM Satellite Radio. Holden Kushner was calling the play-by-play of the game, and I was working alongside him to bring coverage of the youth baseball tournament to XM subscribers around the country. We had a blast.

I don’t remember a ton about the actual game we called. I remember the name of the starting pitcher for the team that won the championship team, Kalani Lagoc-Crawford. He was a lefty pitcher who threw hard, a hefty kid who was a man amongst boys, and I think he ended the championship game with like 13 strikeouts or something like that. Read the rest »

Posted by Grant Paulsen Filed in General

Nationals Eat Crow

August 16th, 2008

The Washington Nationals weren’t able to agree on a contract with Aaron Crow before this morning’s midnight deadline to sign draft picks. That means that the highly touted right-hander, who Washington chose with the 9th-overall pick in this past June’s Draft, will play with the Fort Worth Cats, an independent league team who was able to sign Crow.

Before I take a side in this standoff that ended in a loss for both Crow and the team who drafted him, let me tell you a little bit about “the one that got away.” Read the rest »

Posted by Grant Paulsen Filed in General, MLB, Articles

Wednesday at the Diamond

August 13th, 2008

I went out to Woodbridge, Virginia to check out some A-level baseball this afternoon. Today was actually the second time in the last three days that I’ve watched the Potomac Nationals (Nationals) host the Frederick Keys (Orioles).

I enjoy going to A-ball games. There are usually a few top-notch prospects playing and you generally get to see some quality baseball. The main reason I went out to the park today was to get another peek at Potomac OF Michael Burgess. Read the rest »

Posted by Grant Paulsen Filed in General, MLB, Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles: Minor League Report

August 6th, 2008

Norfolk Tides 5, Columbus Clippers 3

1) Luis Hernandez was 2-for-3 in this game. If he would have done that a few times in Baltimore than he would still be there. And Juan Castro wouldn’t be. Then again he’s only hitting .199 so apparently he hasn’t been doing that at Norfolk too often either.

2) Oscar Salazar is hitting .314 after going 2-for-4 with an RBI tonight. He is the ultimate 4-A player. The embodiment of a guy who will always be a premiere talent in the minors and a fringe guy in the majors. There are worst things in life to be than a 4-A player, though. So that shouldn’t be considered a knock. Well, maybe a mini knock. Read the rest »

Posted by Grant Paulsen Filed in General, MLB, Baltimore Orioles

Orioles Get Gem From Debuting Starter

August 5th, 2008

Chris Waters was 3-6 with Triple-A Norfolk before finding out that he was going to be called up to the majors leagues on Monday. Waters’ promotion to the big leagues was “Plan-B” for Baltimore, because Hayden Penn - who was supposed to have been called up from Norfolk - was injured during his last outing in the minors.

Penn took a broken bat off the leg in his last outing. The incident would have been a non-issue had it not been for a stitched up scar on the right-handed pitcher’s leg, which was re-opened up and needed more stitches after being scraped by the jagged end of the broken bat. Read the rest »

Posted by Grant Paulsen Filed in General, MLB, Baltimore Orioles

Giving Kudos to …

August 5th, 2008

David Price (SP, AA Montgomery Biscuits)

Price improved to 10-0 on the season with seven brilliant innings on Saturday night. In his most recent start, and his 14th of the season, Price allowed just a run and four-hits while fanning 10. He’s now 6-0 with a 2.08 ERA as a AA-starter, this after he went 4-0 with a 1.82 while with Vermont in the Single-A Florida State League earlier this summer.

The top overall pick in last June’s draft, Price would be in the major leagues right now if not for an early-season injury. He made his debut in a Tampa Bay Rays uniform in a spring training game this March, when he popped at 99 while pitching a dominant inning against some of the New York Yankees’ backups. The big lefty’s 85k’s in 86-innings are impressive, as is his .214 average against. Then again what isn’t impressive about Price? He still hasn’t lost as a professional. Read the rest »

Posted by Grant Paulsen Filed in General, MLB, Baltimore Orioles

Hughes Nearing Return

August 3rd, 2008

New York Yankees starting pitcher Phillip Hughes hasn’t had much luck over the past couple years. He got injured last season in the 7th-inning of a game in which he was throwing a no-hitter. Then he got hurt again this year, when he was supposed to have been coming into his own as a front-line arm.

He made a rehab appearance yesterday and, according to onlookers, he looked sharp. He worked 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while fanning five. He was reported to have popped at 95 miles per hour, which should be music to the ears of Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi, New York’s GM and Manager respectively. Read the rest »

Posted by Grant Paulsen Filed in General, MLB

Jeremy Guthrie: Legitimate Ace

August 27th, 2008

Wayne Krivsky on Minors and Majors

August 24th, 2008

Minors & Majors: Aug. 23rd

August 22nd, 2008

Phelps is a Fish

August 16th, 2008

Nationals Eat Crow

August 16th, 2008

Wednesday at the Diamond

August 13th, 2008

Baltimore Orioles: Minor League Report

August 6th, 2008

Orioles Get Gem From Debuting Starter

August 5th, 2008

Giving Kudos to …

August 5th, 2008

Hughes Nearing Return

August 3rd, 2008

Recently

About

Search

Categories

Archives

Blogroll