Phantoms Phanatics Week in Review: July 8-13, 2039
OK, OK. Let’s get this out of the way at the outset: Huntsville went 2-2 last week, for a … .500 record. That brought their season wins and losses to 46-46, or a … .500 record.
As this blog noted last week, the Phantoms are the BBA's answer to a bologna sandwich. Or, if you prefer a musical reference, the Phantoms are like Perry Como. Pop standards before your time? They’re Grand Funk Railroad. Classic rock before your time? They’re Cold Play. Still before your time? For god’s sake, when were you born? OK, they’re Ed Sheeran. Or Drake.
O,r back to food, they’re ‘Nilla Wafers.
They are, in other words, bland and inoffensive – great if you’re drowsy and wanting to nap, but little else.
That’s a given. But let’s look past that for a moment, given that this was All-Star week and … “gasp” … Huntsville actually sent two players to the game as members of the Johnson League squad:
- Staff ace Juan Nicto, who recently signed a 5-year, $91 million extension. Nicto has put together a very nice first half, going 9-2 with a 2.80 ERA, 3.5 WAR, and 89 Ks. He pitched the third inning of the All-Star Game, allowing no runs and no hits while walking one and striking out one.
- 3B/2B/SS Luis González, who’s having a career year so far at age 29. González is slashing .365/.414/.523 with a .937 OPS and 2.9 WAR so far. He started the All-Star game at 2B (one of his many positions), and went 0-1, hitting a soft line drive to the second baseman for an out.
Thanks for listening – now, feel free to resume your nap.
Batter of the Week
Emilio Lugo, 1B: 14 AB, 7 H, 5 HR, 8 RBI, .500 AVG, 2.231 OPS
Pitcher of the Week
Juan Alfonzo, RP: 1 Win, 2.1 IP, 0 BB, 2 K, 0.00 ERA
News and Notes
1B Emilio Lugo went off last week, as you can see from the Batter of the Week stats line. Word is he was feeling a little extra motivated after he was snubbed for a spot on the Johnson League All-Star roster despite a sterling first half: .320/.379/.632 with 20 HRs and 42 RBIs and 2.4 WAR. The feeling around the front office is that he may have been overlooked because he sometimes platoons, which limits his plate appearances. The feeling around the clubhouse is that the front office could have done more to lobby for Lugo’s selection … There’s talk that one of Huntsville’s top prospects, 2B Rocky Wattson, may get a call-up to the big team soon. Scouts say he’s ready, and the team may be looking for an edge as it hangs around in contention for one of the JL Wild Card spots. Huntsville currently is just 3 games behind Jacksonville for the third WC slot. One thing's for sure: Wattson's handlebar mustache is ready ...
JL Southeast Division Standings
As of the morning of July 14, 2039
| Team | Wins | Losses | Win% | GB | RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 52 | 38 | .578 | - | +81 |
| Jacksonville | 49 | 43 | .533 | 4.0 | +40 |
| Louisville | 46 | 45 | .505 | 6.5 | +30 |
| Huntsville | 46 | 46 | .500 | 7.0 | -28 |
| Nashville | 41 | 50 | .451 | 11.5 | -35 |
AAA Carolina stumbled a bit, going 2-3 for the week and bringing its season record to 50-38. As a result, the Flight lost a couple of games in the GL East Coast Division standings: they’re still in second place, but now 4.5 games behind Gotham … LF Craig Barber is in the midst of a good stretch: over his last 8 games, he’s 15 for 33, a .455 BA with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs … AA Beloit had a disappointing week, going 2-4 to drop further below .500. The Blue Sox are now 42-46 in the DNL Mid-Central Division, good for third place and 17 games behind first place Duluth … SP Manuel Durán has been doing his part to keep the team afloat, though: he’s 2-0 over his last two starts, with a 2.08 ERA and 9 Ks in 13.0 IP … Class A Grand Junction went 2-3 for the week, dropping to 37-51 in PL West Central Division play. The Gold Sox are in third place, 6.5 games behind first place Aspen … RF Pete McGrath had a good week, going 9-20 in his last 4 games. That translates to a .450 BA with 2 HRs and 5 RBIs … Short A affiliate San Pedro de Macoris had a 2-2 week, which landed them at 7-13 on the season. The Green Sox are in fourth place in the SL2 Big Islands Division, 7.5 games behind first place San Juan … Juan Carlos Gómez has been effective of late, going 1-1 with 1.69 ERA in his last two starts. He had 9 Ks in 16.0 IP … Rookie League team Monclova went 3-3 on the week, and now stand at 10-13 on the season. The Aqua Sox are in 4th place in the HL Mexican-American Division, 4 games behind first place Ogden … It’s something of a broken record, but top draft pick Hao Hang continues his outstanding play: he was 9-27 in his last 7 games – a .333 BA with 5 HRs and 7 RBIs … And let’s not forget two-way player Paul Kemp, who had a big week on the mound: he went 2-0, throwing 8.1 innings of shutout ball against Chestermere on July 7, allowing 5 hits with 7 Ks and 4 BBs. Then, he came back on July 12 against Bismark, throwing 7.0 innings, allowing 3 ERs and 6 hits, with 5 Ks and 1 BB. For the season now, he’s 3-0 in 5 starts, with 38.2 IP, a 1.86 ERA, 22 Ks and 10 BBs … As a DH, he’s looking a bit less scintillating: a .222/.255/.356 slash line so far, with 1 HR and 2 RBIs. Still, there’s plenty to be excited about here.
