Minor League Notebook
The name's Burrell, as in squirrel
Posted: Sunday June 07, 1998 04:25 PM
NEW YORK (CNN/SI) -- Now that Miami of Florida's Pat Burrell has been selected first overall in this year's draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, isn't it about time people learned to pronounce his name?
Burrell, who played third base for the Hurricanes but will be
moved to first because Philadelphia already has 1997 National
League Rookie of the Year Scott Rolen at third, seems to have an
identity crisis. Burrell's name rhymes with squirrel. He is
not Scott Burrell, the former baseball and basketball star for
the University of Connecticut.
This Burrell leaves school as one of the best hitters in college
baseball history. In 1996, he became the first freshman to lead
the nation in hitting with a .484 average and was the College
World Series Most Valuable Player as the Hurricanes advanced all
the way to the title game.
Despite missing 28 games with a back injury this year, Burrell
hit .432 with 17 homers and 47 RBIs for Miami, which was bounced
from Omaha only hours after the Phillies made its star the first
pick.
"His health was a concern at one point because he missed so many
games," said Mike Arbuckle, the Phillies' director of
scouting. "We've seen all the CAT scans and MRIs, (team
physician) Dr. (Phillip) Marone spoke with a couple of doctors
in Miami and we're very comfortable that his health is not a
problem."
"It [the majors] has always been a goal of mine since I was a
little kid and watching games on television," said Burrell.
"It's been a while since I had a chance to hit with a wood bat
but I feel comfortable. We hit with the wood bats in the fall
but I have not used one in a game in a while."
Despite the Phillies' early success this season, Burrell's
monster bat could arrive in the "City of Brotherly love" in a
hurry. ...
Quick on the Drew
Speaking of the draft, J.D. Drew continues to impress with his bat. Drew, an
outfielder who was drafted by the Phillies last season as the
second overall pick but never signed, is once again tearing up
the Independent Northern League.
Drew was named the circuit's first batter of the week on Monday
after hitting .583 with a triple, two doubles and six RBIs
through the season's first four games.
"It just shows the type of impact a player like Drew can make,
even without hitting home runs," said Saints manager Marty
Scott. "He also threw out two runners, he's very valuable to
this team."
Drew was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals with the fifth pick
in Tuesday's draft.
"There is a tremendous upside," said Cardinals general manager
Walt Jocketty. "He has a chance to be an impact player and a
franchise player. We felt with all those factors this was a
risk we were willing to take."
Taylor made
The Baltimore Orioles are apparently desperate for some
pitching. With three-fifths of their starting rotation on the
disabled list (Mike Mussina, Jimmy Key and Scott Kamieniecki),
the Orioles on Tuesday announced the signing of 31-year-old
right-hander Scott Taylor to a Class AAA contract.
A native of Topeka, Kansas, Taylor began this season with the
Houston Astros' organization and went 0-2 with a 9.10 ERA for
Class AAA New Orleans of the Pacific Coast League. He struck out
20 and walked 19 in nine appearances, six starts.
Taylor pitched for the International League's Rochester Red
Wings against Ottawa (Expos) on Tuesday night and worked 2 2-3
hitless innings. He struck out one and walked two.
Playing in his 10th professional season, Taylor has spent time
with seven organizations; Seattle, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Texas,
Pittsburgh, San Diego and Houston. He signed as a free agent
this winter with the Astros, before being released on May 26th.
Taylor is the only pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter for New
Orleans, doing it in 1994 when the Zephyrs were a Milwaukee
Brewers affiliate.
Super skipper
Rochester manager Marv Foley, one of the most successful
managers in minor league history, is about to add another star
to his resume.
Foley, who secured his place in the record books last season
when he guided the Red Wings to their record 10th Governors' Cup
Championship, will lead the International League in the Class AAA
All-Star game against the Pacific Coast League.
The 1997 Governors' Cup title enabled Foley to become the first
manager to lead clubs to crowns in all three Class AAA Leagues.
Foley previously led Vancouver to the PCL title in 1989 and Iowa
to the American Association championship in 1993 before joining
the Baltimore organization in 1995.
Foley was named manager of the year by the International League,
The Sporting News and Baseball Weekly after the '97 season.
The Class AAA All-Star game will be played on July 8th at
Norfolk's Harbor Park in Virginia.
Star of the wqeek
Second baseman Jeff Liefer of the Birmingham Barons (White Sox)
is the performer of the week after taking home Southern League
(AA) honors. Liefer batted .368 with 11 RBIs, four homers and
six runs scored for the Barons, who continue to struggle at
24-29, 10 1/2 games behind first-place Mobile in the Western
Division.
Liefer belted his second grand slam of the season and drove in
seven runs in a 16-12 victory over the Carolina Mudcats last
Tuesday. He also was named to the Southern League All-Star
team. For the season, Liefer is tied for second in the league
in homers (12), third in RBIs (46) and tied for second in hits
(66).
Kid stuff
On Monday, the day before several high school seniors saw a dream
become reality when they were drafted, the youngest pitcher in
professional baseball made his debut for the Charleston Alley
Cats of the South Atlantic League (A).
Right-hander Jacobo Sequea, a Cincinnati Reds' farmhand who is
just 16 years old, took the mound for the Alley Cats against the
Hagerstown Suns (Blue Jays) at Walt Powell Park in Charleston,
West Virginia. Sequea, who was playing high school ball at this
time last season, pitched five innings and allowed just one run
in a 3-1 Charleston victory.
Sequea was eligible to pitch by just one day. A player must
turn 17 before the end of his season, which the Ancaco,
Venezuela product will do on August 31.
Running away
If anyone is wondering what professional baseball team has the
largest division lead as the season heads towards summer, the
answer is the Iowa Cubs of the Pacific Coast League (AAA).
Iowa's 16-3 pasting of the Omaha Royals on Monday gave the Cubs
a 10 1/2-game lead (since reduced to 9 1/2) in the Midwest
Division. The Cubs improved to 33-18 with the victory on a
night that saw the team hit four home runs for the third
straight game.
The Cubs have slammed 77 home runs in just 52 games this season,
including 10 games of three or more homers. The team has
homered in 40 of its 51 games to produce an amazing .483
slugging percentage. First baseman Alan Zinter's league-leading
.407 average tops five Cubs hitting over .300.
Iowa has been so good this year that three players who have been
named either Pacific Coast League Batter or Pitcher of the Week
are playing for the Cubs in Chicago: pitchers Kerry Wood and
Kennie Steenstra and outfielder Derrick White.
Going batty
Sunday afternoon produced offensive fireworks for two teams in
the International League. In Toledo, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
Red Barons (Phillies) racked up 27 hits in a 26-4 pounding of
the Mud Hens (Tigers).
Third baseman David Doster went 4-for-6 with five RBIs and four
runs scored and center fielder Wendell Magee had three hits,
scored four times and drove in four for fourth-place Scranton,
which through Tuesday had won four of six to move within seven
games of first-place Syracuse.
The Red Barons got two or more RBIs from eight of the nine men in
their lineup and stranded seven base runners.
Later that day, first baseman Kevin Barker had two homers,
including a grand slam, as part of a four-hit, seven-RBI
performance as the Louisville Redbirds (Cardinals) pounded out
23 hits en route to a 17-7 pasting of the Buffalo Bisons
(Pirates).
Designated hitter Brian Banks and third baseman Mike Kinkade
each had three hits and two RBIs for the Redbirds, who scored in
all but one inning and tied a franchise record with the 23 hits.
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