Reflections: Oilers @ Pilots, 6/10/2010

This is going to be a quick one today; I am packing up to get on the airplane and get to ALASKA! I've got the league schedule up and I'm planning out my first three games so I can see some matches in person and give you real reflections, plus some photos. But I just caught the first half of the audio of this game, so I only have half as many impressions to offer.

For this game, although my impressions were based on the audio, I had the opportunity to confirm my thoughts with some people who were actually there, including Joel London who hooked me up via Twitter: "[Pilots starter Joe] Sawicki was hitting his spots all night, but got hit hard in the 1st and got kinda wild in the 5th" and "[Oilers SP Kolby] Moore was all over the place Thurs but was helped by the Pilots inability to get timely hits. Had 1-hitter thru 4" This is basically the assessment I got out of it.


Joe Sawicki sounded like he was really working the corners and getting most of the calls all night -- despite the protest of some batters. This is the second time we've had a look at Sawicki and so far he seems really good. I think it took him through the first to get settled in, though, and by that time the Oilers' potent offense had seized the opportunity to do some damage. Ryan Gebhart really showed an aggressive streak for the Oilers, lining the first pitch off the game by Sawicki and then swiping second base. He did well in the leadoff spot tonight to get things going and he could be a real spark plug for the Oilers this year. He's got a lot of fans down in Oilerland and I have to say that I'm starting to come around on him.

2010 Players to Watch: Anchorage Glacier Pilots

The Anchorage Glacer Pilots' roster has been out for a couple weeks now, and I've been chomping at the bit to dig into it and see who grabs my interest. With the draft looming large, we've been pumping out draft previews for each team, but I figured it's time to switch gears and stop neglecting the historic Anchorage team's squad.


The following is a list of players who I have designated "players to watch". Those eligible to be on this list are not necessarily the best players, but rather those who have a combination of talent, web buzz, good stats, or interesting background. There are also a few "peripheral vision" picks afterward, these are just a few guys who also caught my eye but, for one reason or another, I didn't have as much to say about. So here goes nothing...


RHP Chris Garrison
Oregon
Sophomore - 6'4" 180lb

There's a lot of stuff that I like about Garrison. For one, he played in the Northwoods League last season and did pretty good -- 2.03 ERA, .193 BAA -- and I always love to see guys from other summer leagues come up and see how they stack up. Second, he apparently sat out all of 2010, which introduces some variables. Will he be too rusty to be effective? Or will he be well rehearsed and ready to get back on the hill? Third, he was a draft pick of the Baltimore Orioles in 2008, so someone has already felt that he's had pro potential. There are lots of questions and lots of upside with this kid, so it'll be fun to see how he handles the great white north.