Reflections/Photo Post: Miners @ Pilots, 7/6/2010

Gene Escat: The Smaller Unit

Hello again, friends. I promised some scouting notes on last night's Miners at Pilots match-up, and here they are. I also said that I wouldn't take many photos...well, I took a few. I'm running a little behind though, so I'm going to forego the typical introduction and cut straight to the notes.

- Gene Escat (Pilots) reminds me of Randy Johnson in so many ways. It was like hopping into a time machine and going way way back. He doesn't throw sidearm like The Big Unit but geez. Tall, skinny, a little bit of a wild man (from his control to the mop of hair sticking out the back of his hat), all wrapped up in the same Glacier Pilots uniform. He's listed as 6'3" 175lb; but he looks taller than that, probably due to his lankiness. Maybe we should call him the Smaller Unit? Anyway, Escat threw a lot of pitches and looked like he had trouble finding the zone, and the Miners hammered him early on. After a bad first inning, though, he looked like he settled down a bit and looked pretty decent in innings 2-4. By that point, though, he was just out of gas and had to get the hook.

- Pablo Bermudez (Miners) showed us some of that power when he took Escat yard. There are several things that I noted watching Pablo. First of all, he drove that homer to the opposite field and sent it sailing over the right field wall. It's great to see a guy hit a ball the other way with authority. Second, he got way ahead in the count and jumped on a good pitch. Last year he played in the Valley League and his strikeout rate was atrocious. I don't remember what it was, and I don't care to look it up, because I would hardly believe it if I did. His rate in Alaska this season is far better; still not fabulous or anything but within an acceptable range. In any event, it seems like he may be working on his plate discipline and in this case it paid off. Third, I observed his stance and compared to the other guys around the league these days, and he's got some different swing mechanics. Other players (Matt Ozanne is a good example) take a batting stance with their legs spread wide, and when they load up they barely go up on their front toe before shifting forward. Bermudez starts with a narrow-legged stance and takes a big stride forward. There are various reasons why players would choose not to take this stance (it can jolt the batter's eyes off the pitch for one) but he makes it work for him and it seems intuitive that it might generate more power.

- There's a lot to like about the Glacier Pilots infield. Ernesto Ortiz showed really good footwork, some nice athleticism with a leaping attempt, and pretty decent throwing strength, although his throw in the dirt didn't impress me much (but I won't make a judgment based on one bad throw). Trevor Hairgrove's arm looked pretty strong as well, and he's also one of the most productive Pilot batters thus far. Adam Landecker was part of several 6-4-3 double-play attempts at second base and looked very slick making the turn and avoiding the runners. Finally, how about O'Koyea Dickson? Man he looks like a powerhouse, and I'm not just saying that because he showed his power when he took Dieterich yard. He's a big, strong third baseman, and I also think he played forward on the ball well.

- I was watching Andy Mee, Miners P/OF, fairly closely and noted a few things. The guy can cover some ground out there. I overheard some Pilots fans pointing out how far he plays off the line in right field and suggesting that they could get a hit on him pretty easily if only they could drop one down in right field. I'm not so sure I agree. He has shown me some range and willingness to go in for the big play, and I wouldn't be surprised if he could make that play. He's got good hustle and range. Put that together with his pitcher's arm and he's a pretty decent outfielder.

- Some quick notes to wrap it up: Jimmie Pharr (Pilots) showed some arm strength. On the other hand, he threw some balls way off target early on, but as the game continued he got dead-on accurate, so I'll give him a pass on that. On the Miners' side, catcher (often used in the DH slot, including last night) David Lyon can actually run pretty well. If he goes pro as a backstop his knees will probably be shot within five years so it'll all be for naught, but in the mean time he's got some speed. I didn't get a clock on Tim Maitland (Pilots) but he looks like a guy who's got some speed. If you take a look at my first over scouting video, the one I did on Maitland, it looks to me like he is pretty quick getting out of the box, too.

Here's some photos. You can click on this link right here to go to the complete gallery; below are just a few that I like best. As always, you can use these as you please as long as you credit 49thStateHardball.com. Thanks!