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Futures Game: USA Team Bios
CoachesNICK CAPRA -- Coach, Birmingham Capra has managed Birmingham to a 51-32 record, and the first-half title in the Southern League. Last year, he led Class-A Burlington to the Midwest Title. In 1998, Capra was voted the Appalachian League's Manager of the Year after leading Bristol to a 42-24 record and the League Title. Capra played professionally for 17 years (1972-95) and reached the majors with Texas and Kansas City. He had a .274 lifetime minor league average, and led the Texas League with a career high 55 stolen bases with Tulsa in 1980. JACKIE MOORE -- Coach, Round Rock Moore has managed Round Rock to a 51-32 record, and a share of the first half title in the Texas League. His last stint as a manager was when he managed the Oakland Athletics from 1984-86, going 163-190. He was an assistant coach for the silver medal-winning Pan American team last summer in Winnipeg. Moore was also the bench coach for the Rockies from 1996-98 and the dugout coach for the 1990 World Champion Reds. His 11-year playing career included stints with the Detroit and Boston organizations. He had one stint in the big leagues, spending the majority of the 1965 season with the Tigers. PHIL ROOF -- Coach, Salt Lake Roof has managed Salt Lake to a 53-33 record, tying them for the best record in the Pacific Coast League. In his sixth year as Salt Lake's manager, Roof has led the team to above .500 records every other year. With the Buzz, his record is 434-367 (.542), and last year the team finished first in their division. He previously managed the Twins' AA affiliate from 1992-94 and Triple-A Portland in 1989. Roof played parts of 1961-1977 in the majors as a catcher, hitting .215 with 43 homers in 857 games. JOEL SKINNER -- Coach, Buffalo Skinner has led Buffalo to a 47-33 record this season, tying them for the best winning percentage in the International League. He spent the past two seasons managing Class-AA Akron, where in 1998 the team set a franchise record for wins with a 81-60 record. He was named Baseball Weekly's Minor League Manager of the Year. He also won Manager of the Year awards in the Carolina League in 1997 and the New York-Penn League in 1995. Skinner made his major league debut in 1983 with the White Sox. He played parts of the next two seasons and was traded to New York in 1986. The Yankees then traded him to the Indians in 1989, and he hit a career high .252 with Cleveland in 1990. GARY VARSHO -- Coach, Reading Varsho has managed the Phillies to a 55-29 record so far, best in the Class- AA Eastern League. This is his second season managing the Phillies. VArsho had his managerial debut in 1997 with Seattle's Class-A Wisconsin, and led them to the first half crown in that season and in 1998. Varsho played 14 years of pro ball beginning in 1982. He played parts of eight seasons in the majors with the Cubs, Pirates, Reds and Phillies. He also played in the 1991 NLCS with the Pirates. DARREL AKERFELDS -- Coach, Las Vegas Akerfelds is the pitching coach for Las Vegas (Triple-A Pacific Coast League). Prior to coaching in Las Vegas, he coached at Rancho Cucamonga and Clinton in the Padres system and has been with the organization since 1997. Akerfelds retired in 1995 after 12 professional seasons with seven organizations. He was originally a first-round selection by Oakland in the 1984 draft.
Players
BRANDON INGE -- C, TIGERS, JACKSONVILLE Inge is hitting .266 with six home runs and 52 RBI for Double-A Jacksonville this season. The 23-year-old has two five-RBI games this year, against Birmingham on April 21 and against Carolina on May 5. He is tied for the Southern League lead in doubles with 25. Inge, who hit .244 with nine homers and 46 RBI at Class-A West Michigan in 1999, dominated in the California League, leading it in batting (.407 in 28 games), on-base percentage (.518), slugging (.860) and triples (4). He was second in homers (8) and third in RBI (28), extra base hits (19) and runs (35). He was selected league MVP. Inge led all Midwest League backstops by throwing out 43% would-be basestealers last season, and he gunned 11 of 17 base thieves in the Fall League. Inge was a second-round pick in 1998 after earning co-Player of the Year honors at Virginia Commonwealth in the Colonial Athletic Association. He batted .330 with 15 homers and 21 steals as a shortstop and went 5-2, 2.09 ERA with 11 saves and 59 strikeouts in 43 innings as a reliever
BEN PETRICK -- C, ROCKIES, COLORADO SPRINGS Petrick is hitting .325 with nine homers and 47 RBI this season for Colorado Springs in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. He appeared in five games with the major league club, going 4-for-15 with three doubles and a triple. He doubled in six consecutive games May 27-June 3 (10-25, 6 2B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 1 SB), the longest such streak in the minors this season. Petrick also hit safely in 23 straight games May 20-June 21 (37-93, 14 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 2 SB). He hit .352 in June, with three homers and 22 RBI. Petrick set career-highs with a .311 average, 23 homers and 86 RBI in 350 at-bats between Double-A and Triple-A last season. A .240 hitter with 47 homers in his first three years, Petrick hit .309 with four homers and 22 RBI in 20 games at Double-A and .312 with 19 homers and 64 RBI in 84 games at Triple-A. He finished the season in Colorado, batting .323 with four homers and 12 RBI in 19 games, firmly establishing himself as the Rockies "catcher of the future." The 23-year-old finished among the top four in the organization in batting, homers and RBI. He reached base safely by hit or walk in his last 34 starts. Petrick also excelled with runners in scoring position, batting a combined .380 between the two minor league stops.
ERIC MUNSON -- 1B, TIGERS, JACKSONVILLE Munson is hitting .267 with 12 homers and 55 RBI at Double-A Jacksonville. The 22-year-old went 4-for-6 with two homers and five RBI in a 13-10 win at Tennessee on April 30. It was the first career multi-homer performance for the San Diego native. He has hit .338 with runners in scoring position. Despite playing just 67 games, Munson led the Class-A West Michigan club with 14 home runs. He added 16 doubles and batted .266 in 252 at-bats to earn a spot as the Midwest All-Star DH. The lefthanded slugger continued to hone his batting skills in the Arizona Fall League, batting .292 with five homers and 22 RBI in 34 games. Munson was an All-American catcher at the University of Southern California.
MARCUS GILES -- 2B, BRAVES, GREENVILLE Giles is hitting .291 with 10 homers, 36 RBI and 13 stolen bases for Double-A Greenville. The 22-year-old reached base safely by hit or walk in 21 consecutive games May 18-June 6 (26-71, 5 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 5 SB). Giles, the brother of big leaguer Brian, is fifth in the Southern League in on-base percentage. The lowly 53rd-round draft choice in 1996 continued to prove scouts wrong by winning his second consecutive league MVP honor in 1999. Giles led the advanced Class-A Carolina League in batting (.326) and doubles (40) in 1999 while homering 13 times and driving in 73 runs, numbers especially impressive since his home park in Myrtle Beach favored pitchers. Hitting out of the second spot in the batting order, the 21-year-old batted a team-leading .379 with runners in scoring position and pounded southpaws for a .374 average and .603 slugging percentage. Giles batted .308 with a team-best six RBI in the playoffs. The native of El Cajon, California led the lower level Class-A South Atlantic League in 10 categories in 1998, batting .329 with 38 doubles, 37 homers and 108 RBI. He came within 12 points of winning the Triple Crown. Giles set a Macon club record for homers and a league record with 78 extra base hits and 321 total bases. After committing 25 errors in 1998, Giles made just eight last year and led the league with a .985 fielding percentage.
JASON ROMANO -- 2B, RANGERS, TULSA Romano is hitting .285 with three homers, 34 RBI and 11 stolen bases for Double-A Tulsa. The 21-year-old reached base safely by hit or walk in 20 consecutive games April 30-May 20 (26-76, 3 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBI, 3 SB). Romano had a standout season in the Class-A Florida State League last season, where he hit .312 with 27 doubles, 14 triples, 13 homers, 71 RBI and 34 stolen while improving his play in his second year as a second baseman. The league All-Star finished first in triples, third in total bases (.237) and fifth in batting (.312) and slugging (.516), and he was the first player in the league since 1986 to reach double figures in doubles, triples, homers and steals. Consistent all season, Romano hit below .300 in just one month (July -- .275). While spending the majority of his time batting third in the lineup, he hit .327 with runners in scoring position. Romano turned down a scholarship to the University of Miami to sign with the Rangers after being selected with the 39th pick in the 1997 draft.
SEAN BURROUGHS -- 3B, PADRES, MOBILE Burroughs is hitting .270 with one homer and 27 RBI for Double-A Mobile. The 20-year-old went 3-for-3 with a two-run single in the third inning and a run-scoring single in the fifth against Huntsville on May 14. Burroughs, the ninth overall pick in the 1998 draft, had an outstanding debut season in '99. The 19-year-old, who drew acclaim years prior for being a hero in the Little League World Series, ranked second in the minors with a .363 average, placed third with a .467 on-base percentage and reached base safely in each of his final 54 regular season games. Taking a little time to get acquainted with wood bats, Burroughs hit just .247 through the season's first two months at lower level Class-A Fort Wayne. After warming up to the tune of a .359 average in July, he batted .439 between July and August. Burroughs' 54-game streak of reaching base began in the form of a 23-game hitting streak from July 8-August 1. He went on to hit safely in 36 of 37 games and collected four hits in a game three times over an 11-game span in late August. Called up to the advanced Class-A California League at the end of August, he hit safely in all six games at a .435 clip and reached base safely in all five if his playoff games. Burroughs' .359 average ranked second in the Midwest League and his 85 RBI overall were good for second in the organization. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Burroughs showed amazing plate discipline for a teenager, setting a Fort Wayne franchise record with 74 walks, and was adept at taking the ball the other way in his premier season. Burroughs, whose father, Jeff, was the first overall pick in the 1969 draft and an American League MVP, received a club-record $2.1 million bonus but signed too late to play in '98.
DREW HENSON -- 3B, YANKEES, NORWICH Henson is hitting .288 with six homers and 38 RBI since May 8 with Double-A Norwich. Earlier this season, the 20-year-old hit two triples in three games to help lead his team to two victories. He ripped a two-run triple in a 4-3 victory over Bowie on May 14 and delivered a three-run triple during a seven-run third inning to beat Bowie again, 9-8. With only 10 games of pro experience prior to 1999, Henson showed a power bat and superb hitting skills in an advanced Class-A League last season. He batted .280 with 13 homers over 69 games in the spacious Florida State League parks. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder slugged 11 homers in his last 38 games and batted .356 in the month of July before heading back to Ann Harbor in August to resume his college career as the backup quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines. The Brighton, MI resident was drafted in 1998, and he was signed for $2 million dollars -- a record for a third-round pick -- after setting national high school records with 70 homers, 10 grand slams, 290 RBI and 259 runs. After signing with the Yankees last July, Henson hit .316 (12-38) with a homer and a pair of RBI in 10 games in the Gulf Coast Rookie League.
TRAVIS DAWKINS -- SS, REDS, CHATTANOOGA Dawkins is hitting .230 with five homers, 21 RBI and 10 stolen bases for Double-A Chattanooga. The 21-year-old played at Class-A, Double-A, the major leagues and for Team USA in the Pan American Games last season and impressed all with his outstanding defensive skills, stolen base ability and improved bat. Dawkins, hit .300 at two levels with 17 doubles, 10 homers and 53 stolen bases last season. He led the organization in steals for the second straight year. After being bothered by bunions all of '98 and having his season end in late July due to a fractured toe, Dawkins returned to the Class-A Midwest League last season and hit .272 with 10 doubles, six triples, eight homers and 38 stolen bases. He then played at Double-A Chattanooga the first week of July before joining the Pan Am Team. Dawkins spent three weeks with that club, playing everyday and hitting .273 in 22 at-bats before returning to Chattanooga, where he ended up batting .364 with 15 steals. He hit in 19 of 20 games in one stretch, batted .390 in August and stole four bases in one game, including three in one inning. The Chappells, SC native received seven at-bats with Cincinnati in September.
JACK CUST -- OF, DIAMONDBACKS, EL PASO Cust is hitting .313 with 11 homers and 50 RBI at Double-A El Paso this season. The 21-year-old reached base safely by hit or walk in 21 consecutive games, April 14-May 10 (30-74, 4 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 3 SB). The New Jersey native is second in on-base percentage and hit .373 in April. A first-round pick in the 1997 draft, Cust has shown superior hitting ability thus far with a .326 career average and eye-popping power numbers. The organization's Player of the Year for 1999, Cust ranked in the top 12 among all minor league hitters in eight different offensive categories. He ranked second in the Class-A California League in average (.334), first in homers (32) and fourth in RBI (114). His .651 slugging percentage was also tops in his league and third in the minors while his 77 extra-base hits and .450 on-base percentage each ranked tied for fourth in the minors. Though he collected just three singles in his first 16 at-bats last season, Cust finished April with a .351 average. With just seven homers through the first three months of the season, he began to turn on the ball more and belted 11 homers with 38 RBI in July before exploding for 14 roundtrippers and 29 RBI in August. His RBI total in July was the fourth best in the minors and his home run production in August, which included eight over an eight-day span, was tied for the most. The lefthanded hitter put together two separate streaks of at least 28 games in which he reached base safely by hit or walk, collected at least five RBI in a game five times and scored a run in 10 consecutive games from August 10-20. Cust went on to bat .267 with eight homers, 28 RBI and a .542 slugging percentage in the Arizona Fall League. A slugger who combines unbelievable power with uncanny plate discipline, Cust has a .589 slugging percentage and a .463 on-base percentage since being the 30th overall pick in the '97 draft.
JOSH HAMILTON -- OF, DEVIL RAYS, CHARLESTON (SC) Hamilton is hitting .341 with nine homers, 51 RBI and 11 stolen bases for Single-A Charleston-SC. The 19-year-old hit safely in 16 straight games (34-72, 8 2B, 14 RBI, 5 SB) April 19-May 6. In the South Atlantic League All-Star Game on June 20, Hamilton hit two triples and scored the tying run in the bottom of the 10th inning, pacing the Southern Division to a 5-4, 10-inning victory. The Raleigh native is second in the South Atlantic League in batting average and hits (105). The first overall pick in the 1999 draft, Hamilton has everything from great power and speed to a fastball that clocks in the mid-90's. He will be used strictly as an outfielder, giving him a chance to display his five tools on a daily basis. Signing for $3.96 million two days after being selected, Hamilton was ready to go when the rookie level Appalachian League season started in June. Though he missed opening night with a bout of food poisoning, the 6-foot-4, 200-pounder started the next night and made his professional debut memorable with a homer and three RBI. Playing mainly center field, Hamilton hit .347, seventh in the league, with 10 homers, 48 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 20 attempts. He ranked fourth in the circuit in slugging (.593), doubles (20) and extra-base hits (34) and did not go two consecutive games without a hit. He was called up to the New York-Penn League and hit .429 with a pair of home runs and eight RBI in six playoff games to lead Hudson Valley to the league championship. During his senior year at Athens Drive High School in Raleigh, NC, Hamilton batted .529 with 13 homers and 35 RBI in the outfield, and he was 7-1 on the mound.
COREY PATTERSON -- OF, CUBS, WEST TENNESSEEE Patterson is hitting .249 with 12 homers, 44 RBI and 16 stolen bases for Double-A West Tenn. On April 19, the 20-year-old homered twice and drove in five runs as the Diamond Jaxx completed a doubleheader sweep of Carolina with a 12-4 victory. That started an 11 game streak in which the Georgia native hit .391 with five homers, 16 RBI and four stolen bases. The third overall pick in the 1998 draft, Patterson had a truly remarkable debut season in '99, earning recognition as one of baseball's most promising players. The Class-A Midwest League's Prospect of the Year and a member of HOWE SPORTSDATA's All-Prospect and All-Teen teams, he batted .320 with 20 homers, 79 RBI and 33 steals in 112 games. As impressive as his on-field skills was a level of maturity that could not have been expected from a guy just out of high school. Patterson, after missing a week with a hand laceration and starting 3-for-22, hit .314 the rest of April, including his first pro home run on the month's final day. In each full month thereafter, he batted at least .310. He finished first in his league with 72 extra-base hits and a .592 slugging percentage, ranking eighth and 12 in the minors in those categories, respectively. Patterson put together a 15-game hitting streak from May 20-June 20, during which he missed time with a fractured finger on his left hand. He hit for the cycle as part of a 5-hit game on July 5, added four hits and four RBI the following game and hit .352 average with seven homers and 25 RBI during the month. Though Patterson took advantage of his hitter-friendly home park with a .318 average and 45 extra-base hits, he batted .323 with eight homers on the road. He continued to impress as the youngest player in the Arizona Fall League, ranking fourth with a .368 average and third with a .581 slugging percentage. The son of a former NFL defensive back, Patterson has tremendous all-around skills. His speed was present on the basepaths, where he legged out 17 infield hits, ranked second in the minors with 17 triples and placed second in the organization in steals.
VERNON WELLS -- OF, BLUE JAYS, SYRACUSE Wells is hitting .225 with six homers, 35 RBI and 14 stolen bases at Triple-A Syracuse. On June 28, his RBI double in the bottom of the 13th inning lifted the SkyChiefs past Richmond, 8-7. Despite having no experience above the lower levels of Class-A prior to last season, Wells stormed through the minors in '99 and gave the big club a glimpse of their center fielder of the future. The 21-year-old Wells, selected with the fifth overall pick in the 1997 draft, began the '99 season in the advanced Class-A Florida State League and, although he played in only 70 games, was honored as its most valuable player. He batted well over .300 in each of his three months there, compiled a 17-game hitting streak between May and June and was selected All-Star game MVP. With a .343 average, 11 homers and 43 RBI, Wells was promoted to the Double-A Southern League, where he homered in his first at-bat. After posting a .340 average with 17 RBI in 26 games, the 6-foot-1, 210-pounder was brought up to Triple-A. He had little difficulty handling pitching there, hitting .310 through the end of August before given a crack at the big leagues. Over three minor league levels last season, Wells led the organization with a .334 average, including a .344 mark against fellow righties. He also played in the Arizona Fall League during the offseason and batted .259 with a league-high 14 doubles, six homers and 23 RBI. The son of a former NFL wide receiver, Wells has great speed, giving him great range in center field. An exciting player to watch, Wells has never been afraid to sacrifice his body to make a spectacular play. Though he has only swiped 45 bases in 329 minor league games, Wells projects to be a good basestealer with increased aggressiveness. He legged out 16 infield hits between the three levels in 1999. His 18 homers and .522 slugging percentage last year were career highs.
BRAD WILKERSON -- OF, EXPOS, OTTAWA Wilkerson is hitting .317 with seven homers and 54 RBI between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Ottawa. The 23-year-old hit .383 (23-60, 10 2B, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 2 SB) in 17 games April 13-May 2. His 39 doubles leads the entire minor leagues. A supplemental first-round pick in 1998 out of Florida, Wilkerson both pitched and played the outfield collegiately. He signed too late to play professionally in 1998 and made his debut in the Double-A Eastern League last year. Overmatched at first, he batted .286 (28-98) from August 1 on. For the year the 22-year-old batted .235 with 88 walks.
KURT AINSWORTH -- RHP, GIANTS, SHREVEPORT Ainsworth is 5-4 with a 2.95 ERA with Double-A Shreveport this season. He won the league's Pitcher-of-the-Week award for May 6-14. The 21-year-old pitched two scoreless innings and gave up just one hit to get the win as the Texas League All-Stars beat the Mexican League All-Stars 3-0 on June 20. The Louisiana native is fifth in the Texas League in ERA. Much like 1998 first-round pick Nate Bump, Ainsworth, a '99 first-rounder, made an immediate impression in the professional ranks. He went 3-3, 1.61 ERA in 10 starts at Class-A Salem-Keizer, missing out on the Northwest League ERA title by 17 innings. During the regular season, Ainsworth recorded 12 and 11-strikeout performances in back-to-back outings in August. Ainsworth then went 2-0, 0.44 ERA in three Class-A California League playoff starts, allowing seven hits in 20 innings while striking out 27. He carried a one-hitter into the seventh inning in one start and allowed one hit over seven scoreless in another, retiring the final 16 batters.
RYAN ANDERSON -- LHP, MARINERS, TACOMA Anderson is 5-7 with a 4.58 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 81 1/3 innings with Triple-A Tacoma. The 20-year-old got his first career shutout and complete game in a 7-0 rain-shortened win against Edmonton on April 28. The Michigan native leads the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts, and has 31 more than anyone else. Anderson is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball. Despite struggling at times in his first crack at Double-A ball, the 6-foot-10 lefty has the size and stuff to become an impact player in the major leagues. He posted a 3.31 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings over May and June. Though it started rough with an ERA of 8.00 over two starts, July was a special month for Anderson. He was the Eastern League's All-Star Game MVP, July 14, after he pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts. Anderson, who also represented the United States in the Futures Game during All-Star Weekend at Fenway Park in Boston, then pitched for Team USA in the Pan Am Games, going 1-0, 1.35 ERA with nine strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. He returned to the Eastern League in early August and finished the season strong, winning four of his final five starts and striking out 10 or more in each of his final three. His final numbers included a 9-13 record, 4.50 ERA and 162 strikeouts, which were tops in the league and second among all Double-A pitchers. Anderson also led his league with a New Haven franchise-record ratio of 10.88 SO/9 IP before going on to post a 1-0 record, 2.91 ERA and 29 strikeouts in eight Arizona Fall League starts.
JEFF AUSTIN -- RHP, ROYALS, OMAHA Austin is 5-6 with a 3.85 ERA between Double-A Wichita and Triple-A Omaha this season. The 23-year-old picked up his first career complete game in a 7-3 victory over San Antonio on April 28. The fourth overall pick in the 1998 draft, Austin did not sign until last February. Pitching at Class-A Wilmington in the Carolina League, Austin won his first pro start and did not suffer a defeat for over two months. He was 7-2, 3.77 ERA in 18 starts there before being promoted to Double-A. Austin was 3-1, 4.46 ERA in six starts at Wichita. Overall, the Kingwood, TX native pitched at least five innings in 22 of his 24 starts, allowing two earned runs or fewer 14 times. He allowed a remarkably low 40 extra base hits and surrendered just four runs in the first inning all season. Austin, a Stanford Junior in '98, was 12-4, 3.11 ERA and named Baseball America's College Player of the Year. Austin was drafted in the tenth round out of Kingwood High School in 1995 but decided to attend Stanford instead.
JOSH BECKETT -- RHP, MARLINS, KANE COUNTY Beckett, 20, is 1-3 with a 2.12 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 34 innings for Single-A Kane County. After starting the season by allowing one earned run over 11 innings, Beckett was placed on the disabled list with tendinitis in his right shoulder. He missed almost two months and returned to pitch 2 1/3 hitless innings on June 5. The Marlins' first-round pick and the second player selected overall in the 1999 draft, Beckett is a hard throwing righty from Texas. Beckett went 10-1 as a Senior at Spring High School. His last three years as a prepster, he posted a 32-6 record.
BOBBY BRADLEY -- RHP, PIRATES, HICKORY Bradley, 19, is 8-2 with a 2.14 and 115 strikeouts in 80 innings pitched for Single-A Hickory. He started the season 4-0 with a 1.04 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 26 innings. He is second in the South Atlantic League in ERA and his 3 complete games tie him for the league lead. He has struck out more than ten batters in a game seven times this season, going 6-0 with a 1.47 ERA in those games. The Pirates used the eighth pick of the 1999 draft on the slender 6-footer, who signed for a Pittsburgh record $2.25 million bonus. He was 12-1, 0.38 ERA with 156 strikeouts in 92 innings at Wellington High School in Florida last spring, leading his school to the state championship. Bradley then went 1-1, 2.90 ERA in six starts in the rookie level Gulf Coast League. He walked four and struck out 31 batters in 31 innings.
MARK BUEHRLE -- LHP, WHITE SOX, BIRMINGHAM Buehrle is 8-4 with a 2.28 ERA at Double-A Birmingham. He pitched eight innings of two-hit ball in a 7-3 victory over Huntsville on April 25 to record his third consecutive win and also tossed a four-hitter as the Barons blanked Tennessee, 4-0, June 7. The 21-year-old set down the first 10 batters he faced en route to his first complete game of the season. Buehrle finished with four strikeouts and did not walk a batter to earn his sixth win of the year. He is first in the Southern League in innings pitched (118.2) and fourth in ERA. Buehrle signed in 1999 as a draft-and-follow after being selected by the White Sox out of junior college in the 38th round of the 1998 draft. He opted to sign with the Sox instead of re-entering the draft. He skipped rookie ball last season and went straight to Class-A Burlington where he went 7-4, 4.10 ERA and three saves in 20 outings. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound southpaw struck out 91 and walked only 16 in 99 innings -- outstanding numbers for someone with his lack of experience. The highlight of his season occurred on August 2 against Cedar Rapids when he hurled a six-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts and one walk. Buehrle is tough on lefties and held them to a .220 average last year. He earned serious consideration for a major league job this spring.
MIKE BYNUM -- LHP, PADRES, RANCHO CUCAMONGA Bynum is 8-4 with a 2.45 ERA with Single-A Rancho Cucamongo. He was named the California League Pitcher of the Week on May 9 and is second in the league in ERA. The 22-year-old allowed two earned runs or fewer in five consecutive starts, April 16-May 9 (27 IP, 20 H, 10 R, 5 ER, 10 BB, 21 SO), going 2-1. Selected with the 49th overall pick in last year's draft, Bynum raised eyebrows in his introduction to professional ball. The product of the University of North Carolina did not allow a run in his first 24 innings and went 4-1, 2.28 ERA over two levels. After going 7-1, 3.90 ERA last spring with the Tar Heels, Bynum signed with the Padres on July 1 and was assigned to the rookie level Pioneer League. He was practically untouchable there, tossing 17 scoreless innings over five outings, striking out 21 and affording the opposition a .127 average. Bynum worked six hitless innings on July 28 to notch his first professional win and earn a promotion all the way up to the advanced Class-A California League. In his first start there, he tossed five innings of one-hit, scoreless ball, striking out 10. With only one bad outing in seven starts, Bynum went 3-1, 3.29 ERA with eight walks and 44 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings with Rancho Cucamonga. Overall, he issued just 12 free passes and fanned 65 in 55 1/3 frames.
CHRIS GEORGE -- LHP, ROYALS, WICHITA George is 7-5 with a 3.39 ERA at Double-A Wichita this season. The 20-year-old won three straight starts May 19-30 (20.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 7 BB, 16 SO) and threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings as the Wranglers blanked Arkansas, 4-0, on June 22. The 31st player selected in the 1998 draft, George demonstrated uncommon poise for a teenager in 1999. George, the third youngest player in the Class-A Carolina League, did not turn 20 until after the season ended. He went 9-7 in 27 starts and finished fourth in the league in strikeouts (142) and sixth in ERA (3.60). A victim of poor run support, the 6-foot-2 lefthander received a no-decision in six starts in which he gave up only two earned runs in 34 innings. Hit at a .278 clip with the bases empty, George allowed enemies just a .193 average with runners in scoring position and a .154 average with two out. He was also dominant against righthanders (.242, 4 HR, 39 BB, 446 AB).
GRANT ROBERTS -- RHP, METS, NORFOLK Roberts, 22, is 4-5 with a 4.69 ERA with Triple-A Norfolk this season. He won three straight starts May 24-June 3 (16 IP, 21 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 10 BB, 8 SO). The lower level Class-A South Atlantic League's Most Valuable Pitcher in 1997 (11-3, 2.36 ERA), Roberts was viewed as one of the game's top pitching prospects before undergoing elbow surgery. He missed five weeks in 1998 and has since been battling back to regain his status. In 1999 at Double-A Binghamton, Roberts went 7-6, 4.87 ERA with 49 walks and 94 strikeouts in 131 1/3 innings. 12 of his starts were of the quality variety In five games at Triple-A Norfolk, Roberts went 2-1, 4.50 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 28 innings. He pitched very well in the Arizona Fall League, going 1-0, 2.43 ERA and allowing just seven walks while fanning 35 in 29 2/3 innings.
C.C. SABATHIA -- LHP, INDIANS, AKRON Sabathia is 6-5 with a 3.57 ERA between Single-A Kinston and Double-A Akron this season. With Kinston, the 19-year-old Sabathia recorded his second complete-game shutout in six starts on May 23, after not going the distance in the first 25 starts of his career. Sabathia was then promoted to Akron, where he allowed two earned runs or fewer in three consecutive starts, June 4-14 (20 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 8 BB, 18 SO), going 1-1. Without a doubt, Sabathia has the best long range potential of any pitcher in the organization. Sabathia's progress was delayed over two months in 1999 when he injured his left elbow in spring training. He reported to Class-A Mahoning Valley in the New York - Penn League for six starts and posted a 1.83 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 20 innings. He then allowed two earned runs in three starts at Class-A Columbus before going to Class-A Kinston. The 19-year-old went 3-3, 5.34 ERA in seven starts there. He pitched well there in five games. The Indians received some early returns on their investment in 1998 when he fanned 35 batters in 18 innings at rookie-level Burlington. Sabathia struck out ten batters over four innings in one outing, including six straight, and then fanned 13 batters, including eight straight outs via the strikeout, over 5 2/3 innings in his final appearance of the season. A three-sport star in high school, Sabathia played tight end in football, power forward for a state championship basketball team and went 6-0, 0.77 ERA as a pitcher while hitting .586 as a first baseman.
BEN SHEETS -- RHP, BREWERS, INDIANAPOLIS Sheets is 6-4 with a 2.06 ERA between Double-A Huntsville and Triple-A Indianapolis this season. When he was promoted to Indianapolis, Sheets was fourth in the Southern League with a 1.88 ERA. In five games with Indianapolis, the 21-year-old is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA. The 10th overall player selected in the 1999 draft, the Brewers need Sheets to relocate from the campus of Northeast Louisiana to the mound in Milwaukee as soon as possible. A late bloomer, Sheets wasn't drafted out of high school or pursued by any big time college programs so he went to Northeast Louisiana. After going 6-7, 4.50 ERA as a sophomore in '98, the 6-foot-2, 195 pounder went to the summer Cape Cod League and was selected to the all-star squad, going 4-1, 2.51 ERA. He returned to Northeast for his junior season and went 14-1, 3.11 ERA with 31 walks and 158 strikeouts in 116 innings, leading his club to the Southland Conference championship and earning Player of the Year honors and a first team All-America selection. The cousin of big league infielder Andy Sheets won his first 14 decisions and fanned 20 batters in a win against Louisiana Tech. Sheets allowed just a run and hit with eight strikeouts over five innings in his first pro game at rookie level Ogden. He moved up to Class-A Stockton and fanned 14 batters and allowed one hit over 7 2/3 innings in his second to last start.
BARRY ZITO -- LHP, ATHLETICS, SACRAMENTO Zito is 7-5 with a 3.59 ERA at Triple-A Sacramento. On May 7, the 22-year-old pitched six hitless innings as the River Cats blanked Fresno, 6-0, May 7. Zito issued four walks and struck out six to earn the win. The Las Vegas native also allowed two earned runs or fewer in three consecutive starts May 17-31 (17.2 IP, 15 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 14 SO), winning two and losing one. Much like Mark Mulder, Zito was an obscure undrafted high school pitcher who turned down the Texas Rangers after being selected in the third round in '98. He cashed in a year later after being the ninth overall player chosen last season. Because of Zito's success in his first half season of pro ball (6-1, 3.16 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 68 innings) and Oakland's need for quality pitchers, Zito has been placed on the fast track. Zito was 3-0, 2.45 ERA in eight starts at Class-A Visalia, including six straight starts in which he allowed exactly one run. He was 2-1, 4.91 ERA in four starts at Double-A Midland, fanning the first five batters he faced there, and he won his only regular season start at Triple-A. Zito fanned 10 batters in three of his 13 starts and he dominated fellow lefties, holding them to six hits in 39 at-bats while striking out 18. © 2003 SportsTicker Enterprises, LP
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